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Peter McVitie

Roy Keane was smoking aged 11?! Man Utd legend reveals what inspired him to kick the habit as a youngster

Manchester United
Ireland
Premier League

Roy Keane has revealed that he was smoking cigarettes at just 11 years old before the 1982 World Cup convinced him to quit.

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  • Keane smoked cigarettes aged 11
  • Was inspired to stop by World Cup
  • Decided he wanted to be footballer

  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    When asked on The Overlap podcast which tournament made him fall in love with football, former Manchester United and Ireland midfielder Keane had his fellow ex-Premier League stars Ian Wright and Gary Neville in fits of laughter as he admitted to puffing on cigarettes as a child.

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  • WHAT KEANE SAID

    Just like fellow pundit Neville, Keane picked the 1982 World Cup as the tournament that turned everything around, starting with convincing him to stop smoking. He said: "I remember we used to play football after the games in the evening. In 1982 I would have been 11. I was with my friends, we were playing football and we'd have the odd cigarette when we were about 11. So, I was playing, they went: 'Are you having this [cigarette]?' I remember going: 'I'm giving them up. I want to be a footballer'."

  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Dropping the habit proved to be the right choice for the then-young Irishman. He soon went on to become a Manchester United and Ireland legend, winning seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and a Champions League crown with the Red Devils.

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  • Roy Keane 2024Getty

    WHAT NEXT?

    Keane continues to be a regular pundit on Sky Sports and ITV and, after covering the European Championship in Germany this summer, will be gearing up for the new Premier League season to begin.