Position: Midfield

Squad Number: 16

Born: Cork 10 Aug 1971

Height: 5 foot 10

Previous Clubs: Cobh Ramblers, Nottingham Forest

Notes: A one-time English record £3.75m signing from Nottingham Forest in July '93. 'Keano' emerged from the shadow of Paul Ince to become the key figure in the Reds midfield. His incredible stamina and pure athleticism has led to Alex Ferguson describing Keane as having a "Rolls Royce Engine". Keane's 97-98 campaign came to an abrupt end when he suffered cruciate knee ligament damage at Leeds United. After intense rehabilitation, though, he was back at the start of 98-99 to spread fear throughout the Premiership. Keane is widely regarded as one of the finest all-round midfielders in the world, the "heartbeat" of Manchester United as once famously described by one-time Juventus coach Marcello Lippi. Despite limping off during United's FA Cup Final defeat of Newcastle and suspension robbing him of a European Cup Final place against Bayern Munich, Keane's contribution throughout the Reds' treble-winning campaign was immense. A true model of consistency and an essential part of United's future.