It will come as a surprise to few that Roy Keane isn't willing to play nice when he dislikes a person.

Mark Clattenburg found that out first-hand at the 2022 World Cup, where the former Premier League referee was made aware of the fact he's in the Irishman's bad books. And that was partly due to the fact he was "strutting" when he approached Manchester United legend Keane in Qatar.

Keane, Clattenburg and Gary Neville were working alongside one another as they provided analysis from the tournament in the Middle East. But even then, the former was only too happy to make his feelings known, rather than be fake.

"He's your mate, Clattenburg! You were all over him at the World Cup," recalled 52-year-old Keane on a recent episode of the Stick to Football podcast, referring to Neville's close relationship with the retired official in Qatar.

But Neville, 49, replied: "He's opened up a can of worms now! So basically, we're walking along this place in the World Cup, the three of us were having a chat and Mark Clattenburg walks towards us. . ." It was at that point Keane interjected to remind his colleague Clattenburg was in fact "strutting."

"Right, he's worked with us at the previous World Cups as our refereeing consultant, we trained with him and got to know him a bit," Neville continued. "So basically, we're walking along and I'm like, 'Hi Mark, how are you?' And then he goes over to Roy to shake his hand and Roy goes [rejects his hand]. No word of a lie!

"He threw his hand away! And I'm like, 'What's going on here?! I know he's a bit feisty but. . .' You [Keane] carried on walking, and we were left talking to him and I said, 'Ref, is there a problem?'"

Keane clarified his animosity towards Clattenburg was partly due to the fact "he'd said something in a book [his autobiography, Whistle Blower] after he worked with us." And the former Republic of Ireland captain is well aware of the power of the written word.

Clattenburg, also 49, recently resigned from his role as a referee consultant at Nottingham Forest shortly after encountering criticism linked to the club's VAR controversy during a recent defeat at Everton.