Keane blasts Oxlade-Chamberlain over Neymar shirt swap

Keane blasts Oxlade-Chamberlain over Neymar shirt swap

Roy Keane has blasted Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for asking Neymar to swap shirts

By Sam Gilliland

Jun 3, 2013 8:07:00 AM

The TV pundit criticized the 19-year-old Arsenal winger for appearing to look for the shirt of the Brazilian No.10 after the game

TV pundit Roy Keane has blasted Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for appearing to confer with Neymar about swapping shirts during England’s 2-2 draw with Brazil at the Maracana.

The 19-year-old came on as a second-half substitute and equalised for the Three Lions in emphatic fashion, before swapping shirts with Brazil’s Neymar at the end of the match.

And Keane, who noted the incident which occurred during play, has slammed the Arsenal player for a lack of professionalism with the game still being played.

"I don't think he [Oxlade-Chamberlain] needs to be going around asking for another player's top," Keane told ITV.

"I don't like to see players asking for other players' top in the course of the game. I know he's a young player and he's done very well, and we'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but certainly he's an established international now, he's playing for a senior team.

"At the end of the game no problem, but not during the course of the game when really you should be concentrating on the game and not worried about whose top you're going to get.

"You build your own reputation and by asking other players during the course of the game... It's a no from me."

Keane’s co-pundit, former England defender Gareth Southgate, also shared the Irishman’s views about the winger who followed in the footsteps of his father by appearing at the Maracana.

Southgate said: "I think Roy's right, because he's young and because he's had a big impact on the game we should be generous to him.

"But I'd just be having a quiet word with him in the dressing room and be like 'look, you're on a stage with these guys, don’t give them the feeling that they're superior to you because we've got to play against them.'" ----------------------- goal.com