By Cathal Dervan

Glasgow Celtic fans have found a hero and Roy Keane has found a new home after Celtic boss Gordon Strachan unveiled the biggest signing in the club’s history when the Corkonian walked through the Parkhead doors last Thursday.

Less than a month after he was sensationally shown the Old Trafford door by Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, Keane is back in the big time with the club top of the Scottish League after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Inverness.

The former Ireland captain shunned approaches from Real Madrid, Everton and Bolton to sign an 18-month contract worth €4.8 million. He won’t be able to make his debut until a Scottish Cup clash at little Clyde on Sunday, January 8, but already Celtic Park season ticket holder Keane is relishing the challenge presented by the Bhoys.

And Keane, who has taken a massive pay cut to move to Glasgow, has insisted that the Celtic challenge was greater than any of the money on offer at home or abroad.

“Having spoken to the Celtic manager and having been offered the contract, I knew this was the club for me. I took my time and made the right decision,” Keane said.

“I feel this is where I belong. Coming up the motorway last Wednesday night I was going over things. I got my head after a chat with a good friend of mine and it was the right decision on Thursday morning.

“There has been a lot of speculation over the past few weeks about where I was going, but I gave every club a chance and spoke to every manager. Madrid explained to me they were looking to wait and another week or so which is fair enough.

“Football has been good to me. If it was about money, I wouldn’t have gone to Manchester United when I left Nottingham Forest. I could have left United many times over the years when my contract expired and they will tell you that.

“But if you concentrate on your football and following your gut feeling then the rest will follow. Money comes into the package and I leave that to my solicitor to negotiate, but as far as I’m concerned it’s about what is the best for me in terms of football.

“There is a new mentality in terms of money being the priority for some players, but it never has been for me and believe me, it never will be.”

Keane has already trained with his new teammates even though he can’t play until the transfer window opens in January, and he is adamant he has something to offer the Celts as he competes with the likes of Neil Lennon, Stilian Petrov and Ireland’s Aiden McGeady for a midfield place.

“They are getting a pretty decent player,” said Keane when asked what Celtic were getting for their money. “A lot has been said about my injuries and age but I have a lot to offer and I will surprise a few people.

“I have been a midfielder professionally for the last 15 or 16 years. If you are challenging for trophies then you always need a big squad. The players at Celtic have done very well so I am under no illusions that I will walk into the team.

“I have never taken my place in the team for granted. I aim to train hard and give the manager a problem. At my previous club when they bought a few midfielders I saw it as a challenge so hopefully those here will do the same.

“The captaincy is a bonus. I am all about the team. The team always comes first and the captaincy doesn’t bother me one bit.”

The first Old Firm derby available to Keane takes place at Ibrox in February, but the former Manchester United captain also insisted he is not just a big game player.

“I have not come up here on an ego trip or to unwind. I am here to win matches. I am a team player despite a lot of reports,” he said.

“I feel I can help the club move on to the next level which is winning trophies. That is what I am in the game for. I am not necessarily in the game to be popular. I like pushing myself and the people around me hard, but there seems to be a fault with that in the modern day.”

As for his alleged row with the United first team squad after his criticism of their defeat at Middlesbrough, Keane claimed, “There has been a lot of nonsense written about what I was supposed to have said. I want to push my teammates hard, but people were up for that up until a few months ago. I have been misrepresented, without a doubt.

“I probably don’t tip-toe around people at this level but generally as a professional for 15 or 16 years, 99 out of 100 players that I’ve played with either like me or have enjoyed playing with me.

“A few of my teammates have already called from United so I couldn’t have been that bad. I’m sure I will change my personality at Celtic — for a day!”

Celtic may represent his future but Keane won’t forget his past. He concluded, “I was contracted to Manchester United and I was convinced up to last year I would end my career there but things change.

“I had a great time at Manchester United — they are a fantastic club. If you had told me again I would spend 10-and-a-half years there I would be lucky. The manager was great to me there but our relationship came to an end.

“It was very amicable and we shook hands and wished each other well. United will go on and life will go on and Roy Keane will go on. I wish everyone well at United they are a fantastic club.”

Celtic manager Strachan said he first met Keane a couple of weeks ago in London. Their wives shopped at Harrods while the two talked football.

“I had to find out if Roy was interested in playing for Celtic. That’s why we met. I told him where I was going and he said he was up for it,” Strachan said.

“This is not about money for Roy; he could have got more elsewhere. We have a financial plan for the next 18 months and it doesn’t damage us in a big way whatsoever.

“I knew it was going to be a hell of a tester because I knew what other clubs were offering him. He’s all right financially but I know millionaires who want to add more and more. He could have gone to other clubs that couldn’t give him trophies. That’s him.”

Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond was influential in making the call to get Keane.

“In fairness to Roy Keane he left a lot of money on lots of tables because of his love for Celtic. What swung it for Roy was his love of Celtic and I would hope that he respects Gordon Strachan, respects the team,” Desmond said.

“I am very comfortable with Roy, as are other members of the board, so we have no fears that he will be an unsettling influence. On the contrary, I think he will harness all the good things that are in Celtic.

“We knew that there were a lot of the best clubs in the Premiership and throughout Europe that would want Roy Keane, because he’s one of the world’s leading players. And even at the age of 34 he brings a lot to any team.”

The Keane Move Reaction

Former Ireland boss Jack Charlton: “I think he has made the right decision as the SPL will not be so demanding as the English Premiership or a move to Real Madrid. Let’s be honest, Roy is past his best, though he still has a huge amount to offer in his new 18-month contract. It won’t be as hectic playing club games in Scotland and Roy will find it easier to push forward from midfield. I am convinced that Keane would never have been allowed to leave Manchester United if the manager felt that the player could still make a major contribution in bringing back the glory days.”

Former Celtic boss Liam Brady: “Being Irish, he almost certainly has an understanding of Glasgow’s sectarianism, but it will still be completely different to anything he has experienced in Cork or in England. It’s a shock to the system to witness and experience the animosity that exists between vast amount of the supporters of the two clubs. As a player or manager at Celtic you are an emblem of their community. If it is his decision to commute to Glasgow and keep his family in Manchester, it’s understandable.”

Former Celtic boss Martin O’Neill: “If I had been the manager, I would taken him. He can offer Celtic an awful lot. Roy Keane has the competitive instincts that set him apart. He is a wonderful footballer - one of the great players Manchester United have had over the 30, 40, 50 years.”

Celtic captain Neil Lennon: “Roy has experience and will to win. We are quite similar, but that was said about Paul Lambert and myself a few years back. I wouldn’t envisage any problems with Roy at all. He is great signing and we will welcome him with open arms.”

Man United boss Alex Ferguson: “He’ll do well. Obviously he’ll do well. I thought that would be the right move for him and I think he’ll do great.”