Martin Keown has been informed by Freddie Ljungberg that he "would never have apologized" to Ruud van Nistelrooy for celebrating his 2003 missed penalty. Keown infamously barged into the Dutchman and celebrated in front of him after his last-minute miss in a heated goalless draw between Manchester United and Arsenal. Ljunberg believes there was no need to bury the hatchet, and Keown has since attempted to do so. As Van Nistelrooy was being scolded by several of Arsene Wenger's players, the former Arsenal defender barged into his back, causing full-time chaos. "Apologies for all of the shenanigans that went on back in the day," Van Nistelrooy said when Keown and Van Nistelrooy reunited earlier this season pitchside at the King Power Stadium prior to Leicester City's match with Arsenal on TNT Sports. Speaking exclusively with TNT Sports, Ljungberg told Keown: "I've seen some of your interviews afterwards and you apologised. I would never have expressed regret for what happened." The former Sweden international continued, "When you did that, by the way, by the way, I felt - I never said this on TV - but that we stood up for ourselves," when discussing the incident. Ljungberg joined The Gunners because of Wenger's footballing values, but the former winger also has a lasting impression of his values off the field. According to Ljunberg, "he was a gentleman, he saw everybody, he didn't just see the ones who screamed the loudest." "He cared about if my mum was sick or someone, he was like: ‘How’s your mum?’ He was interested in everything. Simply put, I thought he was and is an incredible man. "When I first entered training, I shook hands with everyone, and they asked, "What is this guy doing?" But I felt that’s the respect you need to give every morning. You need to see everyone, if that's the receptionist or that’s the cleaner, you shake each other’s hands in the morning, we’re all in it together. He brought those values into me at least."
One of the things I liked about Arsene was the fact that he never tailored his team talks around the opposition. We and how we were going to approach a game were always the focus. Members of the United camp in the tunnel that day would not deny they employed a particularly physical approach to that game, but they believe it was the penalty that was secured by Rooney – and converted by Van Nistelrooy – that most offended Arsenal’s players.
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Martin Keown has been informed by Freddie Ljungberg that he "would never have apologized" to Ruud van Nistelrooy for celebrating his 2003 missed penalty. Keown infamously barged into the Dutchman and celebrated in front of him after his last-minute miss in a heated goalless draw between Manchester United and Arsenal. Ljunberg believes there was no need to bury the hatchet, and Keown has since attempted to do so. As Van Nistelrooy was being scolded by several of Arsene Wenger's players, the former Arsenal defender barged into his back, causing full-time chaos. "Apologies for all of the shenanigans that went on back in the day," Van Nistelrooy said when Keown and Van Nistelrooy reunited earlier this season pitchside at the King Power Stadium prior to Leicester City's match with Arsenal on TNT Sports. Speaking exclusively with TNT Sports, Ljungberg told Keown: "I've seen some of your interviews afterwards and you apologised. I would never have expressed regret for what happened." The former Sweden international continued, "When you did that, by the way, by the way, I felt - I never said this on TV - but that we stood up for ourselves," when discussing the incident. Ljungberg joined The Gunners because of Wenger's footballing values, but the former winger also has a lasting impression of his values off the field. According to Ljunberg, "he was a gentleman, he saw everybody, he didn't just see the ones who screamed the loudest." "He cared about if my mum was sick or someone, he was like: ‘How’s your mum?’ He was interested in everything. Simply put, I thought he was and is an incredible man. "When I first entered training, I shook hands with everyone, and they asked, "What is this guy doing?" But I felt that’s the respect you need to give every morning. You need to see everyone, if that's the receptionist or that’s the cleaner, you shake each other’s hands in the morning, we’re all in it together. He brought those values into me at least."
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