Roy Keane’s Superb Reaction to Taylor Harwood-Bellis Scoring for England vs Ireland

· GiveMeSport

The former Manchester United captain suggested the England international's marriage to his daughter is not "done and dusted" yet.

Roy Keane ’s reaction to son-in-law Taylor Harwood-Bellis scoring in England’s 5-0 rout over the Republic of Ireland in 2024 went viral, with the former Manchester United midfielder joking that his daughter’s engagement to the youngster was "not done and dusted."

Harwood-Bellis, who was engaged to Keane's daughter Leah at the time, broke his international duck in November 2024, coming off the bench to replace former teammate Kyle Walker on the 62nd-minute mark before nodding the Three Lions’ fifth home 17 minutes later.

In what can be considered a memorable night for the then-22-year-old, who swapped Manchester City for Southampton on a permanent basis in the summer of 2024, Cork-born Keane joked that the wedding could be off after he scored against his native Ireland.

While on punditry duty for ITV Sport, Keane – a former 67-cap Ireland international – suggested that Harwood-Bellis’ thumping header was a ‘bittersweet’ moment given his mix of emotions, before ITV’s host Mark Pougatch reminded viewers of their connection.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Four players scored their first England goal in the same game (against the Republic of Ireland) for the first time since October 1930 v Northern Ireland.

“Bittersweet for me, this.” Keane insisted as a replay of the ex- Southampton youngster’s debut goal played over and over. “Not everybody knows that is your future son-in-law, do they?” Pougatch then questioned.

> “It’s not done and dusted yet. Listen, things can change very quickly in the Keane household, let me tell you. Over the last few months he has got a goal threat, even paying for Southampton. It is nice for him.

Pougatch then teased one of the hardest footballers of the Premier League era by joking that Christmas lunch could be awkward given it took the ex-Manchester United captain north of three years to notch his first international goal, while it took Harwood-Bellis shy of 20 minutes.

“It’s good for him, it’s good for him to make his debut, like I say he has a goal threat,” the seven-time Premier League champion stated. “He’s a nice kid, his family have done a great job, he is a really nice kid.”

Harwood-Bellis got his first call-up to the senior team under interim England boss Lee Carsley after captaining the Under-21s to triumph at the European Championships in 2023.

Since then, however, Thomas Tuchel has taken over, and the 24-year-old has not played for the Three Lions since. However, Keane's threat didn't prevent the wedding, and Harwood-Bellis has now married Keane's daughter.

When asked about his debut goal, the defender said: “It is a great day for me and my family. It’s every young kid’s dream to make their debut, and to score the goal is magical. I had a few hints yesterday that I would be needed at some point; when I got the nod to come on, I was over the moon.”

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