THE new contract which Roy Keane will sign over the weekend is likely to make him the highest paid player in the history of Manchester United.The deal, described by his solicitor, Michael Kennedy, as a three-year extension of an existing contract which still has a year to run, is expected to guarantee him earnings of close on £5 million before he reaches his 29th birthday.
With a weekly wage off £25,000, the Irishman's earnings will comfortably outstrip those of Eric Cantona, who is reputed to command an annual salary of £750,000.
Kennedy declined to specify the amount involved, but described it as one of the biggest deals in which, to his knowledge, Manchester United have been involved.
"Roy initialled the agreement yesterday and contracts will be exchanged over the next few days," he said.
Keane first went to England and Nottingham Forest from Cobh Ramblers for just £15,000. When he moved to Manchester United three years ago, in a deal worth £3.8 million, he was reported to have been paid a loyalty bonus of £650,000.
The new agreement hammered out after months of discussions ends speculation of a move to Italy or Spain for the player who was rated as one of the big successes of the 1994 World Cup finals in the United States.
The continental connection was a useful bargaining chip for his agents in concluding the deal. So, too, was Alex Ferguson's frequent assertion that Keane is the most effective midfield player in Britain.
In a team which still trades largely on individual flair, his is the steely presence which complements the skills of players like Cantona and Ryan Giggs in United's crusade for fulfilment in the European Champions League.
Ironically, the news that he is to stay at Old Trafford comes at a time when he is recuperating from a knee operation, the latest in a series of injury problems which have struck at regular intervals over the last 18 months.
He was discharged from a Manchester hospital on Wednesday after keyhole surgery for damage sustained in a pre-season game against Nottingham Forest.
A club spokesman said that the date of his return would become clearer over the "next day or so", but he didn't rule out the possibility of the Irishman proving his fitness in time for the start of their European programme.
That timetable would make him available for Ireland's World Cup qualifying game against Macedonia at Lansdowne Road on October 9th, a prospect which will reassure Mick McCarthy for what threatens to be a difficult assignment.
Norway, England and Sweden will each be allocated an additional place in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup as a reward for their sportsmanlike behaviour both on and off the pitch.
