'Not today kid' - Man Utd legend Roy Keane confronted by Rory Mcllroy over brutal autograph snub

McIlroy joined Keane and fellow Premier League greats Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright on the latest Stick to Football podcast from Sky Bet. Being a lifelong United fan, the Northern Irish golfer revealed that he once tried to get an autograph of the ex-Republic of Ireland midfielder, but was brutally told "not today kid".

The golf star revealed: "So I was down at a hotel and the Irish team were staying and it was a training camp I think. So I saw one of my Man United heroes in the lobby, Roy Keane and I went over and asked him for an autograph. He looked up at me and he goes 'Not today kid.' And I was like okay. I know you had your spats in the Irish team so I don't know if you were just in a bad mindset or, I don't know what was happening."

In response, Keane joked whether the story was even true, adding: "The only thing I remember about that hotel was that there was always like kids around annoying the players and you'd think 'there's another one!'"

Despite this snub, Keane featured alongside Neville in a side McIlroy worshiped growing up, as he revealed elsewhere in the podcast that his idols were David Beckham and Wayne Rooney. He also weighed in on the ongoing debate over Glazer ownership, of which Keane and Neville are some of the biggest opponents. McIlroy claimed that the "toxic culture" at the club will continue regardless of Sir Jim Ratcliffe coming in, as the American family still wield too much power behind the scenes.

Erik ten Hag's men have been afforded a rare opportunity to take stock after a hectic December schedule which saw them complete United's worst calendar year in 51 years. Their near-empty January schedule features just two matches, and begins with an FA Cup third-round date away to Wigan on January 8.