Roy Keane Celtic transfer decision stuns Gary Neville after Real Madrid snub for Parkhead

Roy Keane stunned Gary Neville after revealing he snubbed a deal at Real Madrid to join Celtic.

The former Manchester United captain had the option on the table for a contract at the Bernabeu back in 2005 but also had the opportunity to move to either Juventus or Celts under Gordon Strachan. He opted to make the "emotional" move to Glasgow to play for a club he grew up idolising but that shocked old pal Neville who had never heard of the Madrid interest.

Keane, speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, revealed his mindset towards his movements after leaving Old Trafford under a cloud following a fallout with Sir Alex Ferguson.

And he detailed the offers he had in front of him and his reasoning behind choosing Glasgow over the sunshine and superstars of Los Blancos.

"Do you know, I always had a soft spot for Juventus. And they offered me a deal but I remember the deal at the time, thinking it wasn’t amazing," he said. “I was looking for an amazing deal. And the club that offered me the most amazing deal ever was Bayern Munich.

“And then when I left United, I went up to Celtic but I could have gone to Real Madrid for a year and a half.

“They offered me a year and a half. And I was like, Celtic was kind of emotional, which is fine. I don’t mind making them kinds of decisions.

“And I was 34, I just thought, would I go to Madrid and have an impact?”

Neville could hardly believe it, adding: "I didn’t know you turned down Real Madrid.”

“I know,” Keane added.