Haaland: Plans to upgrade his insurance next time he faces United

The fact that is was his second dismissal of the season means he will be banned for four matches, which will rule him out of the start of next season.

Haaland accused the Irishman of attempting to inflict revenge for an incident in 1997, when Keane injured his cruciate ligaments foulling Haaland, who was then at Leeds.

"It's funny since 1997 he's never once looked me in the eye."

"There are always hard fouls in a game like this, but that was well over the top."

Keane, who was injured for a year after the 1997 tackle, appeared to continue to make his point to the prostrate Haaland.

Johnson (right) can have no complaints for his red card at Valley Parade

"I won't tell you what he said to me. Let's just say it wasn't very nice," said Haaland, who claimed the tackle could have ended his career.

"I'm only glad my leg was off the ground, otherwise he would have done me a lot of damage.

"I must upgrade my insurance the next time we play Manchester United," he added philosophically.

Sir Alex Ferguson did not try to defend Keane, but he also refused to condemn the midfielder.

"I've not seen it, but I spoke to our secretary and he thought it was a sending off," said the United manager.

Keane's apparently malicious tackle overshadowed two other ugly incidents in Saturday's games.

O'Leary: "I don't think he made any contact with Cole"

The tackle which led to an early bath for stand-in Derby skipper Seth Johnson was arguably the worst.

Johnson was sent-off for a flying, two-footed lunge on Bradford City's Stuart McCall in the 57th minute before his side slumped to a 2-0 defeat.

The tackle was arguably worse than Keane's but it came in a less high-profile game.

Batty debate

Leeds United manager David O'Leary was quoted widely proclaiming the innocence of midfielder David Batty.

His apparent elbow to the nose of Joe Cole saw him dismissed three minutes into the second half of Leeds' game against West Ham.

Unlike referee Graham Poll and indeed many spectators who saw the incident, O'Leary claimed Batty was harshly dealt with and even hinted that Cole dived.

"I don't think he made any contact with Cole. I have watched it on the video and Cole gets up straight away.

"Batty assured me that there was no contact whatsoever.

"At the force he was running at, if there is contact then Cole would be hurt.

"But Cole is up straight away, so where is the contact. Should Cole have been booked for going down?"