Ruud van Nistelrooy draws line under infamous Manchester United incident 22 years on
Martin Keown and Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy have finally put their infamous clash behind them nearly 22 years on.
Keown celebrated in front of van Nistelrooy during a fierce 0-0 draw between Arsenal and Manchester United in 2003 after the Dutchman slammed a late penalty into the crossbar.
A feisty affair, van Nistelrooy had been involved in an incident earlier in the game that had seen Patrick Vieira sent off, with the post-match celebrations leading to confrontations that brought charges of improper conduct for several players.
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With Keown on punditry duty for TNT Sports during City’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, the pair discussed the incident for the first time.
More than two decades on, the former Gunners and City centre-back said: “Apologies for all of the shenanigans that went on back in the day.”
Reflecting on their meeting on talkSPORT, Keown said it was a sign of the respect that professional footballers have for one another.
“I’ve had to do an apology of sorts to most strikers I played against, so this is nothing new,” Keown said.
“But it’s interesting how he was admitting he would stamp on me and then fall over like a pack of cards.
“He was a top player. You put these things to one side, you don’t walk around with hatred.
“It’s just the sort of person I am. I don’t carry that baggage around. I have respect and it was nice to see there was equal respect.”
