Keane: Fergie tried to stop Beckham wearing No 7

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane claims he was offered the club's iconic No 7 shirt by then manager Alex Ferguson to prevent David Beckham getting it.

Keane, who left United in acrimonious circumstances in 2005 after years of dedicated and inspirational service, reveals the incident in his updated autobiography, The Second Half, which is to be published on Thursday but has embarrassingly and mistakenly already gone on sale in a supermarket in Manchester.

Maverick French star Eric Cantona had left the club in 1997 and Ferguson, according to Keane, was determined England captain Beckham would not get to don the No 7 shirt, a number that had been worn by among other United legends, Bryan Robson and George Best and went on later to be worn by Cristiano Ronaldo.