The likelihood of Alf-Inge Haaland taking legal action against Roy Keane increased dramatically yesterday as it emerged that he has been advised to retire from football.
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Keane vents his fury at injured Haaland after his horror challenge
(GaryMPrior/Allsport) |
As revealed on Thursday, there is a possibility that the Manchester City player will not kick a ball again after three operations failed to clear up a longstanding knee problem.
And now it would appear increasingly likely that the 29-year-old will take Keane through the courts if and when he accepts specialist advice that any attempt to continue his career would be medically unwise.
Haaland returned to England from Norway yesterday as the debate, about Keane's admission that he set out to hurt the Norwegian when fouling him in a Manchester derby 16 months ago, continues to rage.
Having shown a scan of his troublesome knee to two doctors in Oslo, he yesterday spent time at City's training ground where he discussed his options with manager Kevin Keegan.
Unfortunately, specialist opinion is suggesting he ought to retire but the 29-year-old international remains determined to fight on if at all possible.
City have discussed the possibility of legal action against Keane and Haaland has also talked the possibility through with his advisers.
The left knee that has caused him all his problems is not the one struck by Keane in April last year, but Haaland privately suspects that a weakness present in the joint was exacerbated by the sheer force of the studs-first challenge.
Keane missed most of the 1997-98 season after his first tackle on the then Leeds United player Haaland. But, since the Irishman took his alleged revenge by slamming into Haaland's right leg, the Norwegian has suffered knee ligament problems and made just a handful of appearances.
Haaland's main problems have been with his left knee and Norway's daily Verdens Gang quoted him in April 2001 as saying: 'The pains are in the other leg and it is an injury I've been struggling with for two months.' But doctors told the newspaper he could unwittingly have damaged the left knee since it was on the ground at the time of Keane's foul and may have been twisted.
The right leg, hit when the foot was off the ground, swelled most after the tackle.
Haaland told Verdens Gang in April last year that the challenge was '. . . the worst tackle in my soccer career. But not the one that hurt the most. The United captain doesn't have so much juice in his legs for that.'
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