Jason McAteer defended his actions during Sunderland’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United back in 2002, justifying his use of ‘trash talk’ to irritate then Red Devils star Roy Keane.
The Irishman had famously responded by elbowing him on the pitch, earning his swift dismissal from the tie.
Discussing the incident on beIN Sports, the former Red jokingly suggested the pair could settle their differences in a boxing ring: “Let’s just be civil, or we can get in a ring for a £1m each and fight it out. Eddie [Hearn]… if you’re watching!”
We’d be semi-curious to see how such an event might turn out, though there are most certainly better ways for two grown men to bury the hatchet.
You can catch the clip below, courtesy of @beINSPORTS_EN:
"I knew what buttons to press that day, I knew I could get into his head!"@MCATEER4 explains how he got Roy Keane sent off against Sunderland, and reveals that he hopes to bury the hatchet with his former Ireland team-mate. #beINPL #MUFC #LFC pic.twitter.com/mFtPN7QVga
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) November 18, 2023