'Roy Keane waits for no one' - Story behind legendary Man Utd skipper's handshake snub of Ronaldo and Diego Simeone in Champions League clash with Inter

"Every single day, there was a standard set. I always thought I was professional and dedicated, but I was nothing compared to what Keane was like."

David Beckham played under captains such as AC Milan icon Paolo Maldini, Real Madrid hero Raul and England's warrior centre-back Tony Adams, but Roy Keane is the one he regards as "the biggest and best". It is a sentiment that is echoed by many of Keane's former team-mates, including none other than Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest footballers to ever play the game, and it is no surprise when you consider Keane's lasting impact at Old Trafford.

The irascible Irishman was the beating heart of Sir Alex Ferguson's all-conquering Manchester United team for a decade from the mid-1990s through to the mid-2000s and it is striking that his leadership qualities are still lauded to this day, over two decades after he last donned the famous red shirt.

One of the most memorable examples of Keane's peerless competitive spirit came in the 1999 Champions League-winning campaign, particularly when he dragged the Red Devils over the line against Juventus in the semi-final, but another classic example occurred slightly earlier in that campaign, in the quarter-final against a fearsome Inter team featuring the likes of Roberto Baggio, Javier Zanetti and Ronaldo. It was a fleeting moment and one that might easily have been forgotten had it not gone viral on social media years later.

Roy Keane snubs Diego Simeone & Ronaldo

twitter.com/marca_zonal / GOAL composite

The incident itself happened during the pre-match formalities of the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Inter at the San Siro. Manchester United arrived in Italy boasting a 2-0 lead from the first leg at Old Trafford, where a Dwight Yorke double had set them up nicely.

After the two teams line out side-by-side in front of the crowd, it is customary for the players to shake hands in an act of good sportsmanship before they do battle on the field. The captain of one team usually leads his team in the gesture, shaking each player's hand one by one. However, on this occasion, when Keane reached the last two players in the Inter line up - Diego Simeone and Ronaldo - something wasn't quite right.

While the rest of the Inter team were stood to attention ready to shake hands, the cunning Argentine midfielder and his Brazilian team-mate - then deemed the best player in the world, by the way - were oddly stooped over, fastidiously adjusting their socks as Keane arrived. Unfazed by the duo's gamesmanship, Keane breezily walked on by, as if they weren't even there.

When the video is posted on social media nowadays, it prompts admiration from fans. "Roy Keane waits for no one," goes one user's caption. "Class - what a player Keane was. The real deal," opines another commenter. The scene led one fan to declare Keane, "the Chuck Norris of football". You get the idea.

Simeone himself was no stranger to the 'Dark Arts' at the time (just ask Beckham) and you can be sure it was a subtle attempt to get into the head of his direct midfield competitor. However, he and Ronaldo vastly underestimated Keane, who was clearly unperturbed by the antics in the moment, even if the Irishman was partially at fault for Inter's opener in the game. Meanwhile, Ronaldo failed to score at all and Simeone suffered an ankle injury which led to him being substituted before half-time.

The Nerazzurri took the lead after the hour mark when Nicola Ventola outfoxed the United back line to place the ball far beyond the reach of Peter Schmeichel into the back of the net. Keane was closest to Ventola and it was the midfielder's failure to clear the scooped pass into the box that allowed the Italian through on goal.

Luckily for Keane and United, Paul Scholes came to the rescue, snatching a crucial away goal (remember those?) with just two minutes left on the clock after a clever assist from Andrew Cole. That goal made it 3-1 on aggregate to United and meant that Inter needed to score three goals to win - a virtually impossible task.

United held on and booked their place in the semi-final, where they faced another imposing Serie A foe in the form of Juventus, whose squad included the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Edgar Davids and Filippo Inzaghi.

After the Inter game, Ferguson heaped praise on his players. "They were fantastic," he enthusiastically told reporters. "In general play I thought we were excellent - composure, the possession on the ball. I'm very, very proud of them. They were all outstanding. They've deserved the result. There have been times in the past when we haven't got the luck."

While United had their share of luck in that campaign, Keane's luck ran out in the semi-final when he picked up a yellow card which ruled him out of the final. Nevertheless, his overall performance in that game is fondly remembered by the Old Trafford faithful, not least his glorious glancing header, which sent United on their way to victory.

In an interesting turn of fate, years later, Keane would actually put the act of shaking hands into his 'Room 101', a theoretical prison for pet hates. "Let's put shaking hands in," the Irishman suggested to Gary Neville and Co. on an episode of The Overlap. "You see people today and you see them again tomorrow, they shake hands. You go, 'I saw you yesterday!'"

So, in hindsight, it turns out that Simeone and Ronaldo were doing Keane a favour by eschewing the pre-match tradition!

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