"In terms of dominating, I was losing it. It might have been something the normal fan wouldn't recognise, but I did. I was always my own judge, sometimes harsh, but in the end I wasn't quite at the races. By the end of my time there, a lot of the players didn't like me. They had just had enough of me. They were ready for a new voice in the changing room."
Keane cleaned out his locker the night before a last meeting with Ferguson and club chairman, David Gill. When asked about his current relationship with the United manager, he says: "I wouldn't have a clue. He's a manager I played under, he taught me a lot, gave me a chance and, hopefully, I repaid that with some decent performances. Then it came to an end."
Was there any affection between the two men? "No, I wouldn't say affection. The bottom line is, he'd always look at the bigger picture. Whatever he does, he will always do what he thinks is best for the club. I'll give him that."
When asked how good is United's new superstar, Keane remains cautious. He says: "For me, the jury's still out on Wayne. He's got a hell of a lot to do. Wayne has achieved nothing and he would probably say that himself. He's got potential, like I've got potential to be a good manager. Potential is one thing; doing it is another."
Keane reveals how he got on well with David Beckham but expresses doubt about the celebrity lifestyle of some players. "Becks was always going to go down the celebrity road once he got married. Not in a million years could I live that lifestyle, but I'm sure he couldn't live mine. There's a lot of people who get sucked in Michael Owen always springs to mind. The day after Owen broke his foot, he's doing an article and I'm thinking, ‘Work on your recovery, man. Do that article next week, next month, next year.' Jonny Wilkinson, the same. When you get an injury, the early days are vital. I've done it both ways, where I've had an injury and been out on the town that night, and later on, when I focused properly. They're kidding themselves, but that's the name of the game nowadays."
About Zidane in WC:
"I could understand what he did 100%.
"I could sense his frustration: he'd just missed a header before that, then a pass went astray; you could see he was getting tired, and all you need is a flipping comment at that moment.
"That's what used to happen to me.
"You see, at that moment it doesn't matter who is watching, doesn't matter that it's a World Cup final. It could be a park field."
About Mourinho:
"Mourinho's got something.
"A blind man could see that.
"And he has the edge at the moment. He plays games and I think they can have a big effect on his team and on the opposition.
"Do you remember when Chelsea played United at Stamford Bridge, end of last season, and there's two minutes to go in injury time, and he gets up and walks up to where the United lads are, and he's shaking Alex Ferguson's hand and the game is still going on?
"Two years ago no-one would have done that to Alex Ferguson."