Blues boss Roy Keane has slammed modern footballers for wearing scarves, gloves and even hats during games. The Town manager says the players of his era wouldn’t have had snoods wrapped around their chins or worn the other items of warming apparel sported by the modern day player.
"I don't know how they do it. It's very strange. Gloves, scarves, I think somebody came on a few weeks ago for [Manchester] City who had a hat on,” said Keane, shaking his own (unhatted) head.
"Don’t get me started on it. I’ve got my problems without worrying about players wearing tights and gloves and scarves.
"It’s strange, I have to say. I don’t know how you could focus on the game when you’ve got something wrapped around your neck. It’s weird. That’s the modern player, I’m afraid. They’ve all gone soft!”
Keane says he recalls the odd player wearing gloves during his day but nothing beyond that: "I think John Barnes wore gloves but to be fair that boy could play. But that was just gloves, but now you’ve got the tights and now this scarf thing. I can’t figure it out. That’s the way the game’s going, we’re all getting soft!”
Marcus Stewart’s gloves became his trademark during his time with the Blues and Keane says he has no problem with his players following that trend, at Playford Road at least: "My lads are OK. They wear gloves in training, which I don't mind.
"One or two of our lads wore them last year in a cup game up at Blackpool and I made the point that if you're going to wear gloves, you'd better play well because that's the first thing I'm going to throw back at you if you have a poor game. If you’re wearing the scarves or tights, you'd better play well!"