Roy Keane has made his opinion clear about active athletes making their own podcasts and, unsurprisingly, it wouldn’t be to his liking.
Premier League stars Callum Wilson of Newcastle and Michail Antonio of West Ham present their own podcast on the BBC.
The topic was discussed in the last episode of Stay with football following the extraordinary success of the ‘New Heights’ podcast led by NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce.
The show’s guest was former American football star JJ Watt, who invested in Burnley last year, and was asked by Gary Neville if he had considered following the Kelces’ lead by teaming up with brothers TJ and Derek to produce his own group.
Former fullback Derek Watt played for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and then the Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring last month. Younger brother, TJ Watt, is a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Callum Wilson and Michael Antonio are among the current Premier League stars who have their own podcast, but Roy Keane is not very impressed.
But former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has made his opinion clear about players doing pods.
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“TJ is a little different than me in that point of view and Derek is right in the middle, but he doesn’t love the media,” Watt said.
‘It’s very footbally [focused]. So, we’ve talked about it, I think it would be great because it’s hilarious, but it’s also a little bit more [focused].
“I think he’s extremely focused right now and during the season it’s very difficult.” I give credit to people who can do it.
“But imagine you’re coming off a really big loss against a rival, then you have to go on Tuesday and do a podcast about it, you know?”
Former Manchester United captain Keane agreed with Watt and said players should not be distracted from daily work.
After Neville asked Keane if he could imagine United players doing a podcast during their playing days like Wilson and Antonio, he replied: “It wouldn’t just be me, Gary, it would be everyone.” [reluctant to do it].
“I think it would be the same for you, I think for a lot of the older players. If the players were out, we would be frustrated with the players leaving and doing other things anyway.
‘If you had a busy schedule, you wouldn’t be happy about it. I would agree [with JJ]I don’t think it’s suitable for a player [to have a podcast] – Your concentration should be 100 percent on the game.’
Former NFL star JJ Watt said on the Stick to Football show that he had spoken to his brothers Derek and TJ about the possibility of following the Kelce brothers by launching a podcast.
The ‘New Heights’ show hosted by Travis and Jason Kelce has proven very popular
JJ Watt, an investor in Premier League club Burnley, was the guest on Stick to Football.
Watt said the social media landscape had changed dramatically during his playing career.
It’s hard to imagine Keane doing a podcast or using social media during his playing days.
Watt, a former defensive end who played for the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals, spoke about how the influence of social media grew during his playing career.
“In the beginning, there were a lot of people saying, ‘Why are you posting on social media? Why are you doing this? You have to focus 100 percent on football,'” he told Stick to Football, presented by Heaven’s bet.
‘But then, over time, people start to understand that there are 24 hours in a day. I can train, I can study, I can do everything between eight and ten hours a day; There are still 14 more hours left.
“But I also think there’s a fine line between doing a podcast and revealing secrets about things that are sensitive within the locker room.”
The New Heights podcast shared a photo of Jason and Travis Kelce in rural USA on National Siblings Day
The show’s X account also shared a photo of both brothers at last year’s Super Bowl in Arizona.
Last but not least, the podcast shared a snapshot of the two NFL stars during their college days.
Keane added: “I think you have to keep an open mind, of course. I’m certainly not a dinosaur, but I think there is a time and a place.
“But if you have a regular podcast and you’re a top player, I don’t agree, I think it can be a distraction for a player.”
‘Especially if you’re coming off a loss and you’re there the next day and everyone’s laughing a bit because I don’t think you should laugh for a week or two if you’ve been beaten!
“I wouldn’t like that.”