Gary Neville and Roy Keane reveal suspicions over 'not clean' football teams as Man Utd icons open up

Gary Neville and Roy Keane reveal suspicions over 'not clean' football teams as Man Utd icons open up

WATCH NOW: Gary Neville says Man Utd played against some teams he thought weren't 'clean'

Jack Otway

By Jack Otway


Published: 08/02/2024

- 11:53

Updated: 08/02/2024

- 12:04

The pair won plenty of trophies during their time at Old Trafford

Gary Neville has revealed he suspects he played against some teams that 'weren't clean' during his time at Manchester United - and Roy Keane agrees.

The former right-back won the lot throughout his spell at Old Trafford, including eight Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns.


Neville has now been discussing his time at United.

And the 48-year-old believes some teams he faced 'weren't clean', though refused to provide their names.

Gary Neville Roy Keane Man Utd

Gary Neville and Roy Keane have opened up on 'not clean' teams during their spells at Man Utd

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Speaking on the Stick To Football podcast, he said: "There's a couple that stick in my mind and I think there were a few teams we played against that weren't clean.

"We thought it at the time."

Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher both chimed in as well.

Wright asked whether they thought players were 'pumped up', while Carragher suggested it 'must be' teams from Italy.

Neville continued: "I remember me and Giggsy in the early 2000s. You know something, we were fit, and I thought..."

Keane then interjected and admitted he, like Neville, had his suspicions.

"We played certain teams and I'd be walking off and I'd be absolutely shattered," stated the former United captain.

"I'd be looking at players I'd played against, a couple of Italian teams, and they looked like they've not even played a match!

"But why can't we talk about that?"

Neville added: "We're not naming clubs, but I think when you look back now at what came out in cycling and other sports and doctors... We thought at the time that, physically - we were fit.

"We weren't drinkers, we were fit... but that's not right. There's something not right.

"I came off the pitch against an Italian team, and thought 'that's not right' and I know that a couple of the other lads in the mid 2000s thought exactly the same thing."

United played against plenty of Italian teams when they had Neville and Keane in their squad.

They went up against Juventus four times, Inter Milan once, AC Milan on three separate occasions and also had showdowns with the likes of Roma, Fiorentina and Lazio as well.

Meanwhile, Neville and Keane also discussed the current state of United.

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Gary Neville Roy Keane

Gary Neville and Roy Keane faced plenty of Italian teams throughout their time at Man Utd

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The club have endured a difficult season under Ten Hag, even if they seem to have turned a corner over the past few weeks.

And Neville feels United are lacking leaders as they look to bring the glory days back after a decade of underachieving.

"It’s a massive factor, the dressing room that you come into as a young player and the influence and standard bearers in the dressing-room," he said.

"These United lads who have come through in the last five to eight years, if you’re a young lad coming through at Liverpool and Manchester City, you’ve got a good chance, whereas if you’re at United now, you’re thinking 'who is guiding that dressing room?'

“Roy only started to assume the mantle of being the dominant inspirational character at the age of 26 at United, but Marcus [Rashford] is nothing like Roy in personality or character.”

Roy Keane Gary Neville

Roy Keane and Gary Neville won the lot at Man Utd while playing under Sir Alex Ferguson

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Keane added: “I remember when I went to United, coming in from another club, where I had my three years at Nottingham Forest.

"But when I went to United and walked in, they had just won the league so the momentum was there, but I loved it and I loved the dressing room.

“I thought all these players were brilliant professionals, and I looked around and thought what a great group of people.

"Players like Bryan Robson, Ryan Giggs and Lee Sharpe, all amazing professional players. Remember the Cliff, our old training ground in Salford? I’d come in for a big fee at the time, but I was looking around the group and even the chat and the banter was great.

“My first pre-season we went to South Africa, and I couldn’t believe how brilliant it was and how good the players were.

"We’re talking about plenty of players when we played who would happily give tough love, but clearly no-one is doing that at United for Marcus and that is one of the problems that the team has - they don’t have that core group of players.”

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