Roy Keane calls his time at Celtic “embarrassing.”

Roy Keane has spoken out about his brief tenure at Celtic, calling it as a “embarrassing” period in his career during which he believes he should have resigned rather than continuing to play.

After a public spat with Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, Keane joined Celtic in 2005. However, his stay at Parkhead was hampered by physical issues and a lack of form. He only made 10 appearances for Celtic before retiring due to medical advice.

When asked about his time at Celtic, Keane said that he was not at his best during this time. He mentioned recurring hip issues, the need for medications during training, and recurrent hamstring injuries as important factors impeding his success. Furthermore, the commute to Glasgow contributed to his difficulties.

[Football Scotland] he said

“I was on my way to work.” I called Gordon because I still had a year left on my contract. I went to see a hip expert, who told me that the longer you play, the worse the injury becomes… he was talking about after I retire, about quality of life.

“I asked Gordon Strachan what I should do. I went up there and kind of humiliated myself since I wasn’t really performing the job.

“I’d said I was finished but was losing sleep before I called him; as soon as I put the phone down, my career was over.”

“There was no hesitation, no relief, but something lifted off of me.” It beats you up when you’ve suffered injuries.”

This candid remark from Keane sheds light on the difficulties that professional athletes confront, particularly when dealing with injuries and making the decision to retire. His time at Celtic is a painful chapter in the career of one of football’s most legendary figures, despite being brief and, by his own admission, not up to his standards.