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Football

07th Oct 2023

Roy Keane shows great comic timing as David Beckham discusses 1998 World Cup abuse

Lee Costello

Timed to perfection.

Roy Keane shows perfect comic timing with a quick quip at David Beckham’s expense while they discussed the abuse he got following the 1998 World Cup.

Beckham infamously was sent off for tripping up Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone in England’s last-16 defeat to the South American side.

Roy Keane shows great comic timing as David Beckham discusses the 1998 World Cup fallout.

The abuse which the Man United star suffered on the back of that sending-off reached global proportions as he became enemy number one in the country.

In his Netflix documentary Beckham they delved into that period of his life, how it affected his mental health, his family and his performances on the pitch.

The star man himself was on the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast alongside his former teammates Gary Neville and Keane.

They played some clips of the doc, to those on the podcast, and when trying to portray Beckham’s visible struggles on the pitch during that time, they showed a free kick that he took and sent miles over the crossbar.

The camera then cuts to the ex-United midfielder who was asked: “How did you function?”

“I don’t know, said a perplexed Beckham. “I actually don’t know.”

The camera then shows the podcast panellists’ reaction to this powerful moment, where everyone looks full of empathy and shock at what their friend had to go through.

“Was that the lowest point in your football career?” asked a solemn-looking Neville, only for him to be interrupted by Keane who couldn’t contain himself.

“What… the free kick?” snipped the Irishman, which was met by rapturous laughter from the rest of the guests, including Beckham.

For someone who is portrayed as a very serious character, Keane has a unique ability to lift the mood with some classic Irish wit.

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