The Sunderland manager returned to the club yesterday, and was asked about loyalty in football – amid the rumbling row between Manchester
United and Real Madrid over Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo.

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The Irishman said: "If a player wants to move and go on to better things – I am talking about any player – then I would say, 'go for it' because when a club are finished with you, they get rid of you.

"Forget about 'this club's being loyal to players' and all this carry on, it works both ways.

"If a player came to see me and said, 'look, I have got a better opportunity' and we got a good deal, I would say 'good luck'.

"Clubs buy and sell players. Clubs sell players sometimes like a piece of meat, so if a player want so to go and better himself, good luck to him.

"When clubs are finished with you, it can happen very, very quickly.

"This word 'loyalty' is thrown about far too easily and some people haven't got a clue what the word means."

While Sunderland boss Keane has some sympathy with clubs whose players are being targeted by predators, he added: "I don't really know what is going on at United with Ronaldo and I wouldn't like to comment on it, but there have been other cases and other situations.

"I do believe, generally speaking, it works both ways.

"Players have been accused of being under contract and asking to leave – there have been cases over the last few years where players have refused to play.

"There was a player who went on strike a few years ago at Forest – did Mr (Pierre) van Hooijdonk go on strike?

"Maybe that's a bit to the extreme, don't get me wrong, but you talk about contracts – what does a contract mean?

"If a player wants to leave, all he has to do is come in every day, not train with the right attitude and I guarantee you that would p*** any manager off, so there are ways of doing it.

"But on the other hand, if the club want to get rid of you and you have got a two-year contract, they will get rid of you.

"I know some top players who have been forced to train with the reserves and do this and do that, so it works both ways.

"Clubs have got to be very careful when they start questioning players' loyalty because when clubs want to get rid of you, they get rid of you.

"I am 50-50.

"I am the manager of a football club now, but it only seems like yesterday I was playing.

"But loyalty – that word is used in football far too often.

"Some people talk about it, but they actually don't practice it.

"I don't think there's much loyalty left in football, unfortunately, from my own experiences."

Keane diplomatically declined the opportunity to elaborate, although he has spoken in the past about his disappointment at the way his departure from Old Trafford to Celtic after several years with Manchester United was handled initially.