Enlivening anticipation ahead of tonight’s EURO 2020 kick off, Sky Bet sent much-loved pundits Roy Keane and Micah Richards on a unique road trip to dissect the tournament and the latest events from the football world.
Former Manchester derby rivals, the pair have formed a strong relationship on Sky Sports and have become an essential double act for supporters.
The opening episode saw the pair share their opinions on a range of footballing topics, the duo began their journey by reminiscing about their careers and discussing England’s chances in the highly anticipated tournament.
Keane was quick to question Richards’ career at Manchester City, teasing his co-presenter about the fact he did not ‘burst onto the scene’ due to not featuring in the starting 11 in his debut match, as well as scoring an equaliser instead of a winner as his first professional goal.
Commenting on the quality of the England side, Keane remarked: “Gareth’s in a great position. I think he’s got some brilliant options, with midfield and attacking players, Gareth is a lucky man.”
There have been a plethora of iconic moments from the European Championships, and it was episode two in which the former Manchester rivals delved into the history books to reminisce.
It was the spectacular volley of Marco Van Basten that united the duo as they agreed it was ‘hard to beat’ as the most iconic moment in EUROs history.
The conversation then moved to potential regrets as former City star Richards questioned the ex-United skipper on his collision with Alf-Inge Håland and Keane returned with questions on Mario Balotelli.
Nonetheless, a love of Home Alone and Rambo brought the pair back onto the same level as they discussed their most loved films.
“I still get a buzz watching all the top players”, Keane expressed as the excitement for the upcoming tournament shone through during their discussions.
Jude Bellingham was also tipped for a big Summer as they emphasised the next couple of months could see the emergence of a new star in European football.
Discussing Harry Kane’s prospects as a player, Richards noted that Euro 2020 is a ‘massive tournament’ for the Tottenham Hotspur striker, who is rumoured to be considering leaving the club.
Keane’s interest for the tournament, however, appeared to be fixated on fellow former Manchester United player Ronaldo.
“Obviously he’s not getting any younger and he’s had a difficult spell at Juventus, but it’s amazing this industry we’re in,” he said. “We know how brilliant he is, how amazing he is, his leadership as a winning captain, even with Portugal, winning a tournament – now all of a sudden there’s a question mark over him. He could turn up and do the business.”
Concluding their journey, the pair were joined by Gary Neville, who accompanied them as they approached the home of English football.
The trio shared their insight on how far they believe England can go this Summer and where they believe the tournament will be won and lost.
