Keane rages at Newcastle star and Neville defence of ‘nice lad’ who ‘shouldn’t be there’ | OneFootball

Can we shock you? Roy Keane wasn’t hugely sympathetic or empathetic – one of the pathies, the pathies are nice – of Anthony Gordon’s illness on Tuesday.

Gordon was introduced in the 67th minute on Tuesday after illness kept him out of the starting lineup for the visit of Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, when the Magpies suffered the crushing blow of a stoppage-time equaliser from Lamine Yamal after Harvey Barnes had given them the lead.

The England winger didn’t appear to be suffering to any great extent after he entered the fray and neither Keane nor Wayne Rooney could understand how Gordon wasn’t well enough to start the game but was alright to come off the bench.

“It was just, once he got in there, he couldn’t sort his feet out and there was a lack of quality. Anthony Gordon was ill and came on for half an hour. That’s worrying for the other two lads (Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa).”

Keane interjected: “How can you be ill and come on for half an hour? It’s bizarre, isn’t it?”

When Gary Neville defended Gordon, Keane added: “Oh Gary, because you did an interview with him last year and you thought he was a really nice lad! How can you be ill, but come on for half an hour?

“You hear managers every week say ‘He’s not fit enough to start, but he’ll be good enough for the bench’. Something might happen after five minutes. I don’t get it. If he’s that important, start him and take him off after half an hour.”

Rooney was also confused by the situation and claimed if he was ill he simply “shouldn’t be there”.

He added: “We had this debate yesterday. Eddie Howe said before the game that he probably has 20 or 30 minutes in him. That’s telling you the sports scientists and the doctors are (suggesting he can play). If you’re ill, you’re ill.

“You shouldn’t be there. He walked past us before the game and wouldn’t shake our hands. He said he didn’t want us to catch anything, but then he’s going into the dressing room with his teammates.”

Howe moved to clarify the situation after the game and described Gordon’s illness as a great “opportunity” for Will Osula, who started ahead of big-money summer signings Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.

“I think with Anthony that (his illness) was this morning,” Howe said. “We trained this morning and Ant didn’t make it, so that’s a pretty good sign that he’s not in a great physical or his best physical condition.

“Doctors and everyone did a great job to get him at the start line for us, albeit for a short period of time. I thought he made a good contribution when he came on.

“So it meant an opportunity for Will. I think his profile and his qualities were good for this game. That’s why we selected him. His legs, his pace, he’s a willing runner against their high defensive line. I thought that was the right choice.

On Woltemade and Wissa being snubbed, Howe added: “It’s always a tough decision not to play players that I love, but that’s part of being a manager and having to pick the team to do what is best for the group.”