‘He has a great heart’- Katie Taylor reveals Roy Keane was the first to call her at low point

Katie Taylor has revealed a call from one of her childhood heroes helped her through one of the lowest points of her career.

While the Bray fighter is currently on top of the world both figuratively and literally, post Rio 2016 she was quite down.

Indeed, she has highlighted that period as the worst in her career and still laments a medal she feels got away.

The defeat to Finnish boxer Mira Potkonen was controversial and although she didn’t cry foul, the reverse hurt for some time after. 

During that time she did receive a pick me up from a fellow Irish sporting legend.

One of Ireland’s greatest ever footballers, was the first to call and offer his support.

Taylor notes how a call from Roy Keane made ‘her heart so happy’ and reveals the man noted for his abrasive approach and a glare that could rattle the knees of a charging Rhino has a “great heart”.

“When I lost in the Rio Olympics, the first phone call I got was actually from Roy Keane,” said Taylor when speaking to the Daily Mail.

“He said, ‘keep your head up’. He was very, very positive and that really does make my heart so happy,” the reigning WBC, WBO, WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine lightweight world champion added.

“He went out of his way and it meant so much to me that one of my heroes, someone who I really looked up to as a child, gave me a call at the lowest point of my career.”

Keane is the hard man poster boy but Taylor’s points out the former Manchester United player has a lot more to him than the public perceive.
“They’re the things you don’t see,” she said. “He has a great heart… and he’s someone who doesn’t look for any limelight for those sorts of things. It was just out of the goodness of his heart.”