Former Manchester United skipper Roy Keane has admitted Arsenal are one of only a few teams he would pay to watch.

The Irishman is one of the Gunners’ most hated players as he was often the focal point of the fierce rivalry between United and Arsenal during the early 2000s.

Keane and Viera would often cause mayhem in the tunnel before kick off, and Keane insists there was ‘real hatred’ between the managers and players on both sides during their battles for the Premier League title in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

However, in a strange turn of events, Keane has admitted that he would still pay to watch Arsene Wenger’s side in action, saying their style of play is ‘brilliant’.

“There are not many teams I would pay to watch but when Arsenal are at their very best, I would pay to watch them,” Keane told Sky Sports. “Even now.”

“I think they’re style of play is brilliant.”

On the rivalry between the two Premier League giants and his personal battles with the Gunners, Keane added: “I think there was a general hatred between the managers and the players.”

“The players me and Patrick [Vieira], the back four of Gary [Neville], Martin Keown, these are all big characters…Ruud [van Nistelrooy]. The tension between everyone added to it.”

“The managers have a bit more respect for each other now, but at the time, there was a rivalry we don’t see in the Premier League now. It was hatred.”

“If we were playing Arsenal on the Saturday, any kind of knock or injury I had the Monday before the game, I’d be feeling it, my body was getting ready for battle.”

“Any tweaks or aches I’ve got, I’d start feeling them because I know I would need to be ready. Arsenal were strong and quick and you knew that it was going to be a tough game. You know you would be aching for weeks afterwards.”

“To be fair to both teams, we talk about incidents in tunnels and whatever, there was also some great football played and great goals scored. Let’s remember that.”

Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004, a time when the rivalry between them and United was at peak levels.