One of the more publicised transfer gaffes at Blackburn over the last two decades involves former Manchester United midfield general Roy Keane. After impressing at Nottingham Forest as a youth player breaking into the first team, Kenny Dalglish was keen to add the Reds' Player of the Season into Rovers' ranks, with the transfer promising to add some bite to central midfield. Following Forest's relegation, the Irishman was free to look elsewhere to find a new club due to a clause in his contract, allowing for Rovers to swoop in to attempt to finalise a £4 million deal. With a verbal agreement in place, but the incorrect paperwork required to complete the deal officially, Dalglish was forced to leave the switch in limbo over a weekend, due to Blackburn's office shutting too early on the Friday for Keane to put pen to paper there and then. With the Forest midfielder waiting on his move to Ewood Park to be finalised, Sir Alex Ferguson approached the youngster via a phone call and managed to persuade him to instead join Manchester United instead, much to Blackburn's anger. Needless to say, Dalglish had a few bad words to say about Ferguson, with one of Britain's most promising players poached from under Blackburn's nose, and he infamously called Keane out as a "wee b*stard" for his part in the snub.
