Rod Thornley, who spent 19 years working as a physiotherapist at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, has branded Roy Keane a "hypocrite" and a "bully" in a scathing response to the former midfielder's criticism of football physios.
Speaking on The Busby Way podcast, the 47-year-old hit back at Keane's comments made on Gary Neville's The Overlap programme in June 2024, where the Irish ex-captain launched an attack on massage therapists at football clubs.
Thornley, who departed Old Trafford in 2019, believes the 54-year-old's outburst was deliberately aimed at him following a personal falling out between the pair.
While acknowledging Keane was "very funny and really intelligent," Thornley added: "I witnessed him bully people many a time."
During his Overlap appearance, Keane accused club physios of becoming "cocky," controlling dressing room music, appearing on the pitch after victories, and attempting to purchase players' vehicles at reduced prices.
Thornley firmly rejected these allegations, dismissing them as "bulls**t" designed to cause him harm.
On the car-buying accusation, he pointed out a glaring inconsistency in Keane's position: "He went on about masseuses and buying players' cars.
Rod Thornley has hit out at Man Utd icon Roy Keane
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"He sold his car to the caretaker at Man United. So like, I can't buy one off a player, but you can sell it to a member of staff."
The former physio also denied ever requesting a Premier League medal or having any involvement with dressing room music selections.
Thornley revealed the aftermath of Keane's televised comments had a severe impact on his wellbeing, stating he suffered significant online harassment as a result.
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Five facts about the Premier League | PA/GETTY/REUTERS/GBNEWS"All the things he said were just bullst, just aimed trying to hurt me," he said.
"I then got abused online massively and it affected me mentally. It just was f*ing horrible."
The former United staff member is convinced the attack was calculated to publicly humiliate him, describing it as characteristic behaviour from the former Ireland captain.
"It's typical him bullying someone. That's what Roy Keane's about a lot of the times," Thornley stated on the podcast.
Thornley also took aim at what he perceives as double standards from the former United captain regarding his daughter Caragh's appearance on The Overlap to promote her breakfast cereal brand.
Roy Keane won every major trophy with Man Utd during his playing days
|PA
The 47-year-old suggested this kind of promotional activity would have provoked fury from Keane in his playing days.
"He'd have snapped 20 years ago if someone was doing something like that, he's a hypocrite," Thornley said.
Keane's original rant on the programme included complaints about physios wearing headphones "as if they were players" when disembarking from team buses, attending free bar events with friends, and collecting players' boots, which he described as "scavengers in the dressing room."
Keane left United under a cloud in 2005 after winning 17 major trophies with the club.