Official Site of Man U · May 13, 2020
Which opponents did our best players face most?
Some of the results are intriguing: we know Roy Keane had a formidable foe in Patrick Vieira, but he also had plenty of run-ins with ex-Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer, including one stormy encounter at St James' Park in 2001, when the Irishman was shown a red card after a spat with the England marksman.
Our inspirational captain came up against Shearer 23 times in his playing days – the same number of occasions he lined up opposite former Arsenal full-back Nigel Winterburn.
Vieira was actually the leading opponent of Gary Neville, and it was their initial tussle that sparked the infamous tunnel bust-up between Keane and the France midfielder at Highbury in 2005.