Roy Keane says the 'only reason' he left Manchester United was because he appealed the £5,000 fine he received for speaking about a match on MUTV

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Roy Keane has revealed his departure from Manchester United was due to his appeal against a £5,000 fine he received for speaking about a match on the club's in-house TV channel. 

Keane decided to appeal after he was slapped with a £5,000 fine for giving an explosive interview on MUTV in which he criticised United's performance in a 4-1 loss to Middlesbrough in 2005. 

And Keane claims his United exit was not down to any clashes with Sir Alex Ferguson following those comments, but instead due to his decision to appeal the fine itself.

Roy Keane criticised members of Manchester United's squad in an interview on MUTV

'The only reason I ended up leaving Man United was I appealed a £5,000 fine. If I hadn't appealed the fine I wouldn't have left Man United,' Keane told the Limerick Leader.

'Don't be brainwashed by the propaganda and lies. It is peanuts, you get fined that for being late for training at United. 

'I appealed because I felt I shouldn't have been fined for speaking about a match on the club station.' 

Keane and Sir Alex Ferguson parted ways in November 2005 after 12 years together at United

Keane criticised a number of United's players after their display at the Riverside in an interview MUTV producers deemed too extreme to air.

The Irish midfielder eventually left United by mutual consent in November 2005, just over two weeks after that defeat at Middlesbrough.

But despite his acrimonious departure from Old Trafford, Keane insists he has no regrets about his behaviour at the club. 

Keane joined Celtic in December 2005 less than two months after his interview on MUTV

'Have I stepped out of line? Damn right I have,' he added. 'Man United fined me about £500,000 over my career but that is because I was sent off and I always held my hands up.

'Ironically when I appealed a £5,000 fine that's when I left the club. I wished they played this video, it is propaganda, "we had to destroy it".

'How do you even destroy a video? I left with my head held up high, I was fine with my actions, I always felt my intentions were to do the best for Man United.'

Keane went on to join Celtic in December of that year where he played one season before retiring at the end of the 2005-06 campaign.