Keane plans addition to United library

Old Trafford, the theatre of dreams, is becoming a publisher's dream as well. Sir Alex Ferguson's ghosted autobiography set new sales records; Jaap Stam's more recent effort made waves that, some feel, contributed to the decision to sell him; George Best seems to update his life story every other year; and now, the Independent can reveal, Roy Keane has sanctioned a biography by his fellow Irishman, Eamon Dunphy, the author of a similar work on Sir Matt Busby. It is not due to be published until 2003 and, whether or not Keane is still at Manchester United by then, there are likely to be some forthright revelations about his time at the club.

Although his relationship with the media can be fractious, Keane has never been afraid to speak out when he wants to make a point. He famously savaged the "prawn sandwich" brigade responsible for the lack of atmosphere at Old Trafford, insisted that United must make new signings to progress and, more recently, used his national newspaper column to express sympathy for Stam. With the Republic of Ireland, he speaks from a position of even greater strength, criticising the Football Association of Ireland in an interview last season for poor training facilities and travel arrangements.

In Dunphy, 56, he will have a colourful biographer, a former professional footballer who has subsequently become a controversial journalist and broadcaster in Dublin. Dunphy, initially a Manchester United reserve, developed into a skilful midfield player with York City, Millwall, Charlton and Reading, winning 23 Irish caps.

A scourge of the football establishment and fierce campaigner for players' rights, his first book, in 1976, was the ground-breaking Only A Game?, a candid account of a season at Millwall regarded as one of the best football books ever written.

To research his volume on Busby, A Strange Kind of Glory, Dunphy returned to live in Manchester for six months and was rewarded with highly favourable reviews. Equally well received was a biography of the Dublin band U2, Unforgettable Fire, even though he confessed to knowing little about rock music when asked to write it.

In the meantime he had established a reputation as a forthright commentator on Irish sport and politics, falling out with the Republic manager Jack Charlton, who called him "a bitter little man", and his successor Mick McCarthy, but remaining an admirer of Keane. Asked recently about the amounts of money paid these days to leading players like the United captain, Dunphy replied: "I wish they were getting more. They're stars, they bring people in and they make people happy. I like to see them retire with their future secure."

On Monday, the man characterised by one newspaper as "loudmouth host Eamon Dunphy, television's Mr Nasty" takes on the role of Anne Robinson for a 26-week run of The Weakest Link on Ireland's TV3. He also presents a televised Premiership highlights show and The Last Word, a current affairs radio programme. Yesterday, for once, he was unavailable for comment.

The market for sports books is currently buoyant, according to John Gaustad, who runs the Sportspages bookshops in London and Manchester. "Absolute super-sellers don't come along all that often, but Alex Ferguson's autobiography sold colossal numbers, Geoff Hurst's is absolutely tearing away and David Batty's has been selling strongly," he said.

Hodder & Stoughton, the publishers of Sir Alex's tome – for which he is believed to have received an advance of close to £1m – claim to have shifted more than 750,000 copies, rivalling Dickie Bird's autobiography as the best-selling sports book other than Nick Hornby's phenomenal success Fever Pitch.