best buds 'He's a great laugh' - Micah Richards on his unlikely bromance with Roy Keane

We never thought we'd see the day when Roy Keane was a willing participant in viral social media content, but Micah Richards has brought this phenomenon to the world in recent months.

Serial winner Keane and his Sky Sports colleague Richards hardly seem like natural buddies, but their friendship appears to be blossoming on and off camera.

Keane has never embraced social media with a Twitter account and he has been less than complimentary about some players who used it during his time as Ireland assistant manager.

Yet he appears to embrace/tolerate Richards when he captures video of Keane when he is least expecting it, with one notable moment coming as he caught the Irishman applying his make-up at the Etihad Stadium last year.

There was also the occasion when he followed Keane out of Old Trafford and drew a less than welcoming glare from the former United captain.

Yet Richards insists Keane is a willing participant in his social media fun, with the former defender who won the Premier League title with Manchester City in 2012 opening up on the story as he spoke to sundayworld.com at a Sky Sports event.

"I can't compete with Roy Keane in terms of medals, so I try and have a different approach when we are working together," Richards stated.

"There is this perception about him, but let me tell, you, he is a great laugh to be around.

"I've seen people go on there who have tried to fight fire with fire with him. You're not going to win that battle. So I try to soften him up around the edges and have a bit of fun with him off air so that when we go on air, it comes out on air as well.

"Honestly, I love working with him but it's hard for us now because every time you go on air people expect there to be fireworks. It's not going to be like that.

"He probably wants to be a manager again further down the line and I don't want to be the pundit that's always laughing and joking. We are just trying to get the balance right, but working with him is absolutely amazing.

"He is a hard man, but more importantly, he is an actual a genuine bloke and he has been a joy to work with on Sky."

Keane has had his own digs at Richards as part of their on-screen banter and when he suggests his pal had offered him a chance to be his assistant if he returned to manager, he had this cutting response last Sunday:

Keep the fun flowing boys!

Sky Sports is the home of the Premier League, with Man City v Spurs at 5.30pm this Saturday.

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Online Editors