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Fergie needs to remember who made him - Keane

Sir Alex Ferguson has completed 25 years at Manchester United © PA Photos

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Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has revealed the extent of his bitter exit from Old Trafford and hit out at Sir Alex Ferguson, claiming that "without players like myself, maybe he wouldn't have such a good managerial record."

Keane, who won the Premier League, Champions League and a host of other trophies during his 12 years at United, was shown the door in November 2005 and has been critical of his former team during his new career as a football pundit.

The Irishman lambasted Ferguson's flops after they dropped out of the Champions League against Swiss side Basel and Fergiuson was quick to hit back at Keane's own management record.

The United boss continued his criticism in Saturday's programme notes, writing: "My immediate job is to sift through the disappointment and the criticism to get everything in perspective and I can tell you already that I still have faith in our players. We will take a lot of stick from critics and even from people we thought were perhaps on our side but we mustn't dwell on that."

In an interview in the Sunday Times Keane hit back at Ferguson, claiming that he felt abandoned by his manager during the latter part of his career and suggested that Ferguson puts his own interests ahead of United's.

"People say he stood by me in difficult times," Keane said. "But [he didn't] when I was 34, not when I was towards the end and had a few differences with Carlos Queiroz. All of a sudden then, 'Off you go, Roy, and here's the statement we've done'."

On his coaching career, Keane added: "If you want to question my managerial record ... listen, you could question every pundit's managerial skill in relation to his and we're all going to come up short. But I would also say that without players like myself, maybe he wouldn't have such a good managerial record because players who go down the punditry road, it's soon forgotten that we put bodies on the line for him."

Keane also cites the legal action taken against John Magnier over the breeding rights to the stallion Rock Of Gibraltar as an example that everything Ferguson does is not necessarily in the interests of United.

"This didn't help the club, the manager going to law against its leading shareholder," said Keane. "How could it be of benefit to the club? I said, 'You're not going to win', and he said, 'I don't care, no-one does that to me'. And I go, 'Okay, off you go, I'm not going to change your mind'."

However, despite the total breakdown of his relationship with Ferguson he is still honoured to have represented United.

"I count my blessings to have played for Manchester United. All of my family are United fans and I don't have any bitterness towards Man United, please let's make that clear."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.