At the height of the Saipan saga, loyal Corkonians took to the streets in protest wearing T-shirts comparing Roy Keane to Michael Collins under the legend "another great Corkman shot in the back".

Two years on and Roy, now back in the Republic of Ireland fold, is set for a hero's return to Leeside when he lines out with a Manchester United XI against Cobh Ramblers at Turner's Cross tomorrow night.

The pre-season friendly will see Keane, now very much the veteran at Old Trafford, team up with some of United's younger stars to play against the team with whom he made his League of Ireland debut before moving cross-sea to Nottingham Forest.

Former Cobh Ramblers chairman John O'Rourke, who signed Keane from Rockmount and sold him to Brian Clough's Forest, was instrumental in getting the Manchester United captain to return for the friendly against his old club.

"I was approached last November by the then chairman, Liam Amphlett, and he asked me to make the contact. I did and Roy immediately agreed. He's a fantastic player but he's also an outstanding person who will always help out when he can," he said.

It's the first time Keane has played in Cork since Forest played Cobh Ramblers in a friendly in 1991, while it's also his first appearance for Manchester United on Leeside.

His return has already proved a winner for Ramblers.

Current club chairman John O'Sullivan - father of athlete Sonia - revealed that the 7,000-plus tickets sold out within three hours of going on sale, and he's certain Keane will receive an extraordinary warm welcome at the Cross tomorrow.

"We'd have loved to have had the game in St Colman's Park, but we just couldn't, both because of the capacity and the security.

"We might have got him into the game okay, but we'd never get him out of the place afterwards with so many people wanting to meet him."