Roy Keane is Daniele De Rossi's hero.

Roma midfield Daniele De Rossi has stated that Roy Keane is his hero. According to Rossi, his jersey number , which 16 is dedicated to the former Manchester United Skipper.

“Keane is my absolute hero. The 16 on my shirt is, along with the birthday of my daughter Gaia, dedicated to him,” said Rossi.

“I was a striker growing up and he was the epitome of a bad boy genius. He had character, charisma and a touch of aggressiveness. He really entertained me.”

Hailed as one of the, and if not the most successful Irish player in History, Roy Keane has won 17 major trophies in his life as a player for Manchester United. Not only that, Pele has listed Roy in his list: Fifa 100 greatest player of all time and the only one from his country, which further proves his worth. Similarly, he has been listed by Times in the list of 50 hardest players of all time.

Daniel De Rossi, who himself is one of the most acknowledged players in his own record did not hesitate to call the former United Captain his absolute hero. He has further implied how Rossi is the only player with whom he could not resist taking a photo with.

 "He’s the only person in the world I asked for a photo with, two years ago. I was too embarrassed to ask Maradona, but with Keane, I couldn’t  resist. ", stated Rossi.

This Roma defender has won Serie A Young Footballer of the Year in 2006 and the Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year in 2009.