THREE days after announcing plans to retire at the end of next season, Roy Keane, the Manchester United captain, is now contemplating extending his career, rather than ending it, after talks with Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager.
Keane, who again highlighted his return to form of recent months by dominating the midfield during United’s 2-0 victory over their neighbours, Manchester City, on Sunday, had said only last Friday that next season would be his last.
However, the intervention of Ferguson and, more surprisingly, the healing properties of yoga have now conspired to leave the 33-year-old Ireland midfield player considering the postponement of retirement plans for at least another year.
Speaking at a charity function in Dublin, Keane said: “I said on Friday that I believed my current contract at United would be my last playing contract. But the manager pulled me to one side on Saturday morning and said that he will be the one deciding when I’m going to be retiring, so who knows what will happen?
“At this moment in time, I still think what I said stands. But you know this retirement, it’s not a word I like talking about, it’s a long way away yet. If this time next year my body is holding up and my hip and knee are OK and the manager and his assistant, Carlos Queiroz, feel I can still contribute to the team, then who knows?”
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The idea of Keane serenely practising yoga is an image few would have thought possible, but he believes that it has helped to keep injuries to a minimum this season. “Myself, Ryan Giggs and David Bellion do yoga and I think it has been a good help to us,” he said. “It is the physically demanding, stretching yoga and I am definitely feeling the benefits of it.”
Lorenzo Amoruso, the Blackburn Rovers defender, would love to follow Barry Ferguson back to Rangers but admits that he might be too old to play for the Glasgow club. The 33-year-old has fallen out of favour with Mark Hughes, the manager, after a lengthy injury and has not played for the Lancashire side since October 16.
The Italian defender has offered his services to Alex McLeish, the Rangers manager. “If Rangers need a centre half, I would love to go. I was hoping to move in January. Because my situation is a bit complicated as I had an operation, then the manager has not been using me,” Amoruso said.
Ferguson rejoined Rangers just before the close of the transfer window on January 31. The 27-year-old made an emotional return to Ibrox in the 3-0 Bank of Scotland Premierleague win over Hibernian at the weekend.