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‘Football is an art,’ Arsene Wenger once said.
Perhaps Manchester United legend Roy Keane inspired the thought, maybe in one of his infamous clashes with Arsenal’s Patrick Viera.
For Irish amateur artist Seán Harte, Keane has become something of a muse.
Manchester United’s former captain was the spark for a series of portraits immortalising his red cards which Seán painted at home in Dublin.
Now a Sky Sports pundit, Keane was sent off 11 times during during his 12-year stint at Old Trafford and recently talked through each one on an episode of The Overlaps’ Stick to Football podcast.
Seán, a visual designer by trade, thought the moments would be well-suited to the canvas.
Roy Keane was sent off 11 times during during his 12-year stint at Old Trafford and recently talked through each one on an episode of The Overlaps’ Stick to Football podcast
His most famous tackle was on Erling Haaland’s father Alf-Inge back in 2001, and he has claimed the ‘somersault’ the Man City player performed made it look worse than it actually was
Irish amateur artist Seán Harte has immortalised Keane’s fiercest moments on canvas
‘Initially there was a photo of Keane and Patrick Viera I came across and painted.
‘I’d been looking up other images and that clip from Stick to Football came up.’
Though Keane’s punches, stamps and reckless tackles were box office to watch, Seán’s focus was not aggression.
‘Obviously stamping on someone or whatever is not funny but when he’s talking over it that changes things.
‘I just had the idea that it’d be so good to see a colourful painting of it with the quotes.’
His first portrait was Keane’s red card for stamping on future England manager Gareth Southgate in a game against Crystal Palace in April 1995.
On Stick to Football Keane said Southgate ‘deserved’ the stamp that led to the first sending off of his career.
Seán’s next project was Keane’s swing at Middlesbrough’s Jan Age Fjortoft in October 1995.
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Keane received a red card against Newcastle in 2001 after throwing the ball at Alan Shearer and then taking a swing at the striker – ‘People annoy me – and he still annoys me!’
Keane’s second ever red card for United was for ‘diving’ in a match against Blackburn in 1995
The Boro striker grabbed hold of Keane’s face but the Irishman said he ‘didn’t connect’ with the Norwegian when he lashed out.
Seán, now 35, was a 12-year-old Man Utd fan when he first sketched his boyhood hero Keane.
He said: ‘When I started watching football Man Utd were dominating and I’m Irish as well so Roy Keane was my favourite player.
‘For him to be dominating and be the man, the main leader, it was great.’
Seán had always been creative, drawing WWF wrestlers as a child and winning school art competitions but fell out of the habit as he grew up.
After studying graphic design at college he worked in creative fields but had little opportunity to make art for himself.
‘I was on a laptop or a phone the whole time and I wanted to do something creative that was a bit more tactile. That’s what ended up getting me back into the painting and drawing.’
He began painting again in early 2024, returning to drawing wrestlers and trying his hand at landscapes.
Harte’s first portrait was Keane’s red card for stamping on future England manager Gareth Southgate in a game against Crystal Palace in April 1995, which Keane later said he ‘deserved’
However the oil paints he was using soon became an issue.
‘I’m in a one bed apartment with my girlfriend, we don’t have a lot of space and the oil paint is a bit toxic as well.
‘My girlfriend was feeling a bit ill so I switched to acrylic.’
He posted a series of Father Ted paintings on Reddit and received a good reception.
Fans suggested new ideas including a Roy Keane and Patrick Viera clash which led him to the red card idea.
Seán plans to complete a series of six paintings showing the most ‘picturesque’ red card moments from Keane’s feisty Man Utd and Ireland career.
Keane only received one dismissal in international matches but Seán has more ideas for new projects.
‘I’d like to do one or two good Keane moments but obviously the red cards have been great because they’ve given me some more great ideas.
‘Another plan was to go down the route of more red cards so Cantona jumping into the crowd, the Zidane headbutt, Suarez biting.
‘I’d like to stay with football for a while.’
He posts all his art on Instagram and plans to make a series of prints from his work.
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