Black Cats boss hails ‘the new Roy Keane’

Aug 14 2009 by James Hunter, The Journal

STEVE Bruce insists £6m man Lee Cattermole will bring the same drive and enthusiasm to Sunderland that a young Roy Keane brought to Manchester United in the early 1990s.

Black Cats boss Bruce secured the signing of his number one midfield transfer target this week, with Cattermole following his old manager from Wigan to Wearside.

Bruce was a senior figure in the Red Devils side when a 21-year-old Keane moved to Old Trafford from Nottingham Forest in 1993 and he says ex-Middlesbrough man Cattermole possesses many of the same qualities as Keane at the same age.

Bruce said: “The ex-manager of this club [Keane] was very, very like him. He had the same dynamism as Lee has. Lee reminds me of Roy in his attitude for the game. He’s a born winner.

“But certainly when Roy was young, he had the same kind of drive and enthusiasm as Lee has, and that was what made the Manchester United team better.

“Roy never gave up – other teams would win over his dead body – and Lee is just the same. Whether he can get as far – because, let’s be fair, in Roy we’re talking about one of the greats – we’ll see. But certainly I think enough of him to go out and pay £6m for him, and he will go straight into the team at Bolton tomorrow.”