Walters on Keane: I'm Possibly the Only One That Stood Up to Him, Maybe That's What Bothers Him Most Tuesday, 10th Sep 2019 14:14 Former Blues skipper Jon Walters has responded to last week’s comments from ex-Town manager Roy Keane which reignited the long-term spat between the pair. The first 11 minutes of Joe’s Liquid Football show sees Walters discussing Keane, the background to the former Republic of Ireland assistant boss’s comments and also going into greater detail regarding the initial clash between the pair in 2010 prior to the forward’s move to Stoke City. "What he went into, the stuff about crying on TV, I think that was something that I never expected," Walters said. "I'll tell you one thing about the man, he doesn't get to me one bit. I'm possibly the only one that stood up to him, more than once. I think that's what bothers him most, maybe. I don't know. You'd have to ask him that question but you might get something back. "I said this the other day - I really don't know why people pay attention. Why they get that worried by Roy. Because, yes, he was a good player, an unbelievable player, known as a hard man on the pitch. "But there's a difference between being a hard man on the pitch and being a tough guy. Just because someone has a sharp tongue or a stare, doesn't make them a tough guy. "My brother-in-law was a Marine commando, went to war, he's a tough guy. They're the people you say are tough guys, not Roy. So that's why I was never scared as a player." Regarding the incident at Town, he added: “It was in Ipswich when I was going to leave. I went in the office, I'd been asking to leave because two Premier League clubs [Stoke and probably Wigan] had come in for me, every window they’d come in and I was 26 or 27 and I thought I'd never get the chance again."" “So I went in the office and I'd asked him a couple of weeks before and he'd said 'If a Premier League club comes in for you, you can go, no problem.’ """So I knocked again, and said 'Can I go?' because I knew people had put bids in. You're not meant to know, but I knew."" "And he sat down and then, as he does, he switched. He just said, 'I'll tell you when you can go, basically when they meet our valuation’, had a little pop and I just told him to f**k off.""
"And once again the stare came out, the eyes, and he just said 'Who do you think you're speaking to?' I'd lost my head at the time and I just said 'I'm speaking to you.'"" “So he got up, took his watch off, took his jumper off and, if you don't know, basically you're going to be fighting if you take your watch and jumper off. "We've gone head to head. This is childish, head to head, this is 10 years ago or whatever, that’s not me now. “But because I don't like bullies, the way it's gone, I'd stand up to them. So I was like, 'Come on then, let's have a fight, if you want to go for it, let's go!’ “‘Hit me, hit me, you hit me’, we've gone back and forth a bit. ‘You bully everyone in the club, you bully the staff, you bully the players, I'm not scared of you, you want to bully them, but I’m not scared of you, let’s have it me and you.’ "Head to head and he’s gone, 'Hit me, hit me, you hit me.’ And then it sort of wasn't happening so I've just gone to walk out the room. “And as I've gone to walk out, he said something very personal, something that's nothing to do with him, but he’s touched a nerve with me. So I've shut the door behind me and come back in. “And I said basically that it's got nothing to do with you, ‘Come on then, let's have it. Hit me first and watch what happens to you, just give me the chance and basically I'll rip your head off’, that’s what I was saying to him. "I'd gone by then, I'd switched. Once again, back and forth for a bit and then he says to me, 'You're not going to hit me because I'll have you arrested if you hit me.’ “So I knew I had him then, when you stand up to a bully you know have them when you get 'I'll have you arrested if you hit me in this work place.’ “So I said 'OK then, I'll go and meet you outside somewhere, call me tonight and I'll come and meet you.’ “And he's come back with 'Ooooh you're going to meet me in the middle of a field with your mates and ambush me?’ “So I said, 'No, I'll come to your house and while all your family are there and whoever else, me and you, I'm on me own, I don't care, I'll meet you there’, and I've walked out. “So I've gone and trained and was told I could leave the club. Driving on the way home with my agent, Paul Warhurst, I'm telling him the story and Roy rings him, doesn't know I'm in the car. "He's said, 'Are you Jon Walters's agent?’ and he’s said ‘Yes’. He's on loudspeaker, and he’s gone 'Tell your client if he says anything about me, I'll sue him for everything he's got.’ “So we're just giggling away to ourselves and he hangs up the phone. Then I've gone to meet other clubs because they gave me permission to speak, so I’ve gone to speak Stoke, and a couple of days later a fine comes through the post, two weeks' wages. "The fine says, and I've still got the letter, 'After our meeting in my office, I find it unacceptable that you threatened to carry out physical violence outside of club premises, if there were witnesses I'd look to take criminal proceedings or civil proceedings against you. Here’s your two weeks’ wages, you’ve got the right to appeal, seven days, signed Roy Keane.’ "That's what made me laugh, at the end of the interview he did the other day, he said to everyone, 'Yeah, Jon threatened to come to my house and I gave my address and I'm still waiting.’ "I just thought, why are you lying? Don't lie. That’s how I know I got to him, I got into his head. “I don’t mind the other things, but don’t lie about things like that. I don't claim to be a tough guy, I just stand up to people that try and bully people and do what's right."
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