Roy Keane launched a furious rant at a player who responded in the best possible way

Roy Keane once ripped into James McClean during a foul-mouthed dressing room row while on Republic of Ireland duty. But the winger, now 37, responded perfectly to his then-assistant manager Keane’s criticism about his application levels by scoring in the following game.

McClean celebrated his 50th international cap for Ireland by captaining his nation in a friendly against Mexico back in June 2017. But the then-West Bromwich Albion star had a poor game as his side lost 3-1, having conceded a penalty himself in the first half.

Manchester United legend Keane, who was Martin O’Neill’s assistant at the time, unleashed his wrath on McClean and his team-mates in the dressing room at half-time. The pundit appeared to be especially triggered by a meeting with Irish boxer Mick Conlan before the New Jersey match.

Writing in his autobiography The Walls, as per the Irish Independent, McClean said: "Martin [O’Neill] had just finished his bit when Roy came over, got right in my face and started f***ing me out of it.

"'Look at you, the f***ing captain, f***ing giving off, yeah? You were taking pictures before the game with f***ing Mick Conlan. Your head isn’t f***ing in it.'"

McClean remained silent during Keane’s dressing room scolding. But the ex-United skipper doubled down by accusing him of "having a big ego" in another furious rant during a gym session.

McClean continued: "He said he’d never been critical of me in the press or around the group, and now, the first time he’d said anything, I’d pulled him up over it.

"Then he started going off about the Lamborghini at Sunderland, which was f***ing six years earlier. I was thinking he must have been seething for the afternoon, gathering information."

That was in relation to then-Sunderland manager O’Neill having allegedly dropped the Irishman for buying a supercar. But McClean responded to Keane's comments in the best possible way, scoring in Ireland’s 3-1 friendly win over Uruguay in the following game and performing a selfie celebration.

McClean went on to reach 103 caps for Ireland, scoring 11 goals for the Boys in Green. He returned to his hometown club Derry City in January 2026 but has not played for the side since August due to a bitter public dispute with the club hierarchy.

Keane, meanwhile, left his role as Ireland's assistant manager in November 2018, departing alongside O’Neill and the rest of the coaching staff after a poor run of form where they failed to win across the entire year. His last managerial role was his five-month tenure as O’Neill’s assistant at Nottingham Forest, after which he has focused solely on his successful media career.