THE World Cup is better off without Roy Keane writes Bolton Evening News columnist Neil Bonnar
Goodness knows what goes through the head of a man who abuses his boss, torments his organisation and ridicules his team-mates but this football festival can do without him.
A lot of words have been used to describe the Manchester United and former Republic of Ireland skipper but one sums him up better than any other - trouble.
He is trouble from head to toe and if he wasn't one of the best footballers in the world he wouldn't get away with his constant bad behaviour.
Because the public admire a great footballer they make allowances for his repeated shows of arrogance, abuse and dirty play.
His conduct in the Far East this week was contemptuous, insulting, and showing an utter disregard for authority and he still had people jumping to his defence back home.
It is typical of the way Keane can get away with anything. On the field he has chased a referee around the pitch and received little more than a slap on the wrist. He produced a horrific challenge on Alf Inge Haaland which received a red card and, somehow, a standing ovation from 60,000 people.
He has condemned his own Manchester United supporters as ignorant and was widely supported by those who didn't think he meant them (well, who did he mean?)
He has criticised Manchester United, insulted his Old Trafford team-mates, patronised his fellow Republic players, hit out at his country's FA, argued with Republic coaching staff and launched a torrent of four-letter word abuse at his manager.
He threatened to walk out on the national side, changed his mind, vowed he would not play in the world cup, changed his mind and finally, finally, found himself out in the cold where he deserves to be.
The player deserves to be at the World Cup. The man doesn't.
And what rubs salt into the wounds of common decency is that Keane benefited financially from his bad behaviour to the tune of £150,000 from a national newspaper and another wedge from a television station.
Click HERE for Neil Bonnar's weekly column on the world of sport
Click HERE for Neil Bonnar's daily look at the World Cup
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