Roy Keane and Jimmy White had snooker and football fans talking when a photograph emerged online of the sporting icons.
The former Manchester United captain was present at The Crucible during the final of the 2023 Snooker World Championship, where he bared witness to Luca Brecel’s incredible 18-15 victory over Mark Selby. And while in Sheffield, Keane bumped into six-time tournament runner-up, White.
A photo of the two posing while sharing a handshake emerged online soon after, but many fans were confused by the image given that it displayed Keane having a disproportionate right arm to the rest of his body. One person wrote: “Roy needs to stop doing left-arm only weights,” while another joked: “Roy’s arm is on a diet.”
A third, meanwhile, added that they had to double take after noticing that Roy had a “tiny little arm”. Of course, Keane’s right arm was in fact hidden in the shadow of White, giving off the impression that it was smaller than it actually was, but fans still enjoyed a touch of humour over the happening.
While he plied his trade in the world of football, lifting seven Premier League titles with Manchester United between 1993 and 2005, Keane has always had an interest in snooker – and has been spotted at the Crucible on a number of occasions. He was also convinced to sign for the Red Devils after enjoying a game of snooker with Sir Alex Ferguson.
The legendary Scot had caught wind of Keane making a move to Blackburn Rovers before asking to meet for a game. Outlining the instance in his first autobiography, Keane wrote: “From that moment, I was never going to sign for any other club.”
Likewise, Ferguson also has a love of snooker, and has acquired a number of pieces of memorabilia over the years from players alike. Ken Doherty gifted him a cue, while Dennis Taylor gave him the set of balls used in the 1985 World Championship final.
The game has grown in popularity over the years thanks to sensational stars like White, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, and Judd Trump to name a few – with many celebrities spotted at the World Championship each year. Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain has been spotted enjoying the tournament in the past, while Muse frontman Matt Bellamy and Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker have also been in attendance.
It comes as the 2025 Snooker World Championship has landed in Sheffield, with a number of highs and lows being experienced by players and fans alike thus far. Last year’s winner, Kyren Wilson, was omitted from the tournament in the very first round after suffering a 10-9 loss to Lei Peifan, while O’Sullivan made a statement in his grand return with a 10-4 dismissal of Ali Carter in his own opener – putting speculation as to how his lay-off from the sport may have affected his form.
O’Sullivan is currently joint-first in terms of World Championships won, with seven to his name alongside Hendry. However, ‘The Rocket’ will hope to leave his Scottish rival behind when this year’s tournament comes to a close in May.
World No. 1 Trump, meanwhile, will hope to add a second World Championship to his own name after beating Zhou Yuelong in his opening clash. He will now face Shaun Murphy in the next round on Sunday.
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