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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 08,00.html
Keane leaves Manchester United
Roy Keane has left Manchester United by mutual consent.
A statement released by the Old Trafford outfit confirmed that their long-serving captain has departed with immediate effect after it became clear that his future at the club was untenable.
Michael Kennedy, Keane's representative, met David Gill, the United chief executive, at Old Trafford to thrash out details of Keane's severance, completing one of the most dramatic departures in the history of the club.
The announcement comes less than three weeks after Keane's outburst at his team-mates during an interview so damning that it was deemed "unbroadcastable" by MUTV, the club's in-house channel.
Sir Alex Ferguson was known to be furious at the timing and verocity of the personal attacks contained within the interview and publicly rebuked his skipper prior to the win over Chelsea on November 6.
Once the depth of Ferguson's feeling was known it became clear that Keane had no future at the club.
A previous offer for a testimonial in recognition of the Irishman's 12-and-a-half years at Old Trafford has been confirmed in writing but Keane will not be at the club in an official capacity if he decides to take the offer up.
"It has been a great honour and privilege to play for Manchester United for 12 years," said Keane. "Whilst it is a sad day for me to leave such a great club and manager I believe that the time has now come for me to move on. After so many years I will miss everyone at the club."
Keane had already cast doubt over his long-term future at United earlier this season when, in a live phone-in, he said he believed that his current contract, which was due to expire at the end of this season, would be his last.
The statement astounded Ferguson and Gill who believed they had a verbal agreement in place to discuss the Cork-born star's future later in the year.
Almost immediately speculation surfaced that he would join Celtic in the summer, and in their official statement United have today made it clear that Keane is now free to sign "a long-term deal with another club to enable him to secure his playing career beyond what would have been the end of his contract at United in the summer".
While the relationship between Ferguson and Keane, which has proved to be such a bedrock of United's success down the years, has now been broken apparently beyond repair but the United manager, who breezed through this morning's media sessions without mentioning the dramatic developments about to unfold, was quick to pay tribute to Keane's contribution.
"Roy Keane has been a fantastic servant for Manchester United," Ferguson said. "The best midfield player in the world of his generation, he is already one of the great figures in our club's illustrious history.
"Roy has been central to the success of the club in the last 12 and a half years and everyone at Old Trafford wishes him well in the rest of his career and beyond."
