Keane slams Man Utd’s ‘disgraceful’ treatment of players and reveals he pleaded with team-mate ‘you don’t have to leave’

ROY KEANE has slammed Manchester United for the disgraceful treatment of players they have sold down the years.

The club legend left the Red Devils in 2005 following an acrimonious falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson.

Sky SportsRoy Keane took aim at Manchester United for their bad treatment of players[/caption]

Treble winner Jaap Stam was sold in controversial circumstances in 2001Getty

However, it is not his own treatment that has riled the outspoken Irishman.

He instead pointed to the exits of Jaap Stam and Paul Ince as an example of United’s shoddy treatment.

Fergie infamously axed Stam because he was upset about the Dutch defender’s autobiography.

While iconic midfielder Ince was dumped with the boss reportedly believing he was too ‘arrogant’.

And Keane defended the pair, even revealing he also had to tell Ole Gunnar Solskjaer he did not have to leave when Ferguson want him out.

Keane said on the Stick to Football podcast: “Manchester United are a great club, brilliant club, but the way they’ve treated players over the years and the way they’ve let players go – Jaap [Stam]’s not the first or the last that I’ve heard from – it’s absolutely disgraceful. Paul Ince – there’s loads of others.

“A lot of these players who probably didn’t think they’d done anything wrong. They were good pros and all that. I know sometimes you have to move players on.

“I said to Paul Ince, you didn’t have to leave, you’ve got a contract. I think Ole [Gunnar Solskjær] had the chance to leave, he said no.

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“But when the manager is saying that to you, and you’re so hurt, and obviously you’ve got your pride, it’s hard to stay.”

Stam, 51, made 127 appearances for United and was part of the Treble winning side alongside Keane in 1999.

He was sold to Lazio in 2001 – a decision Ferguson later regretted as the centre-back continued to play at the highest level for several more years.

Reflecting on his sale, Ferguson said: “At the time he had just come back from an achilles injury and we thought he had just lost a little bit.

“We got the offer from Lazio, £16.5m for a centre back who was 29. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. But in playing terms it was a mistake.”