Sunderland manager Roy Keane has blasted ‘weak’ Premier League players who are allowing their wives and girlfriends (WAGs) to dictate their careers.
The former Manchester United captain has spent nearly £30 million pounds on new players to boost his promoted side this summer but has lost out on some of his top targets because they did not want a move to the north-east.
And in an echo of his infamous ‘prawn sandwich’ diatribe against corporate supporters, Keane claimed that it was because modern day footballers are more interested in shopping than football.
‘These so-called big stars are people we are supposed to be looking up to. Well they are weak and soft,’ said Keane.
‘Priorities have changed for footballers and they are being dictated to by their wives and girlfriends.
‘We had a player this summer who didn't even ring us back because his wife wanted to move to London; he didn't even have the courtesy to pick the phone up to us and shopping was mentioned.
‘I can understand the attraction of London if you go to Arsenal, Chelsea, maybe Spurs, but there are players just going there because it's London and to me that's wrong, clubs with half the crowds and less attention.
‘It's not a football move, it's a lifestyle move, and they're the type you don't want at your club anyway. It tells me the player is weak and his wife runs his life.’
The 36-year-old Irishman revealed he came close to joining Juventus towards the end of his career and those trying to persuade him to move tried to use the glamour of Italy to convince him.
‘You have to sign for a club for football reasons. A couple of years ago I nearly went to Juventus and people spoke to me about Turin saying it's this and it's that and that Milan would be nicer, and I said I'm not going for the bloody shops, I'm going because it's Juventus.
‘Football must be your priority. You don't need to live in London or Manchester to be happy; you don't need to be surrounded by expensive shops or fancy cafes. What's your priority - your wife and her shopping or your football? Or money?
‘Retire at 35 or 36, you can live wherever you bloody well like - London, Monaco, wherever - and any half-decent footballer will be a multi-millionaire anyway. Why is there such a big attraction with London?
‘If a player doesn't want to come to Sunderland because his wife wants to go shopping in London it's a sad state of affairs.’
