We've all know a mate with a short fuse who gets a little feisty after one too many. But it's a totally different story when that mate is Roy Keane and he's making violent threats against you during a heavy drinking session.
That's precisely what happened to Ian Harte while away on Ireland duty in 2001. The former Leeds, Reading and Bournemouth left-back made 64 appearances for the Boys in Green between 1996 and 2007 – a period which overlapped that of legendary hard man Roy Keane.
Harte admits to getting on well with his team-mate, and would later play under Keane at Sunderland in the 2007/08 Premier League campaign. Despite their good relationship, Harte remembers the night things got a little bit heated in a hotel bar.
"I was at Levante for three seasons and then I signed with Sunderland for one year," Harte tells the Players Lounge section of FourFourTwo – order the latest issue here. "I didn’t play much there but it was one of those things. I respected Roy as a player but, as a manager, he could have done things differently.
"Back when we both played for Ireland, we’d sometimes go for a drink together. After one night out, we got back to the hotel – Leeds were due to play Manchester United on the Saturday. Roy turns around and says, “Hartey, you’re a great lad. But when we play you at the weekend, I’m gonna f***ing smash you!” I sobered up straight away and went to bed. I love Roy though, I’ve got so much respect for him."
Who can blame him? We'd have gone to bed too... and probably pulled a sicky at the weekend.
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