Oojays_gramIan Wright and former England Lioness Jill Scott leapt to the Geordie icon’s defence, arguing that Shearer’s antics only made him tougher to deal with – and that “everyone enjoys playing with someone like that on their team.” The much-loved punditry duo also pointed to the era he played in, suggesting such behaviour was more widely accepted at the time. Watch the exchange below:
But Keane, one of the hardest players of the Premier League era, wasn’t having it. “I don’t admire people who were nasty,” the 54-year-old insisted, citing Shearer’s tendency to use his elbows in challenges and one-on-ones.
Alan Shearer Responds To Keane’s ‘Nasty’ & ‘Sneaky’ Comments
Anyone with even a passing knowledge of Keane will see the irony in him calling out someone else for being ‘nasty’ on the pitch. After all, he was behind arguably the worst red-card tackle in Premier League history – a full-speed, studs-up lunge that effectively ended Leeds United star Alf-Inge Haaland’s career.
Shearer, along with his old friend Gary Lineker, was quick to highlight that hypocrisy on the Rest Is Football podcast. He said (watch the full segment below):
“Someone sent me [Keane’s remarks] the other day. Micah [Richards] sent me it, and [Ian] Wrighty. It made me laugh, like really? I mean, come on. Sneaky and nasty? I mean, some of the tackles, come on. Really?”
Needless to say, Shearer saw the funny side, flashing a wry smile as Lineker joked he was “living in Keane’s head.” The Irishman has always had a knack for making enemies – for reference, he received 96 yellow cards and 13 yellow cards in his career, compared to Shearer, who picked up 34 yellows and just one red.
But in his mellowed years there’s little chance of seeing a repeat of those ferocious battles with Patrick Vieira anytime soon, though you probably won’t sit comfortably completely ruling it out as he continues to grumble over the state of modern football.
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