Micah Richards has told a court that former Manchester United Roy Keane stayed “cool” and “calm” after allegedly being assaulted, despite his “hardman persona”.

Former footballer Richards told Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Friday that he “grappled” with a man accused of headbutting Keane, 52, inside Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in September.

Scott Law, 43, from Waltham Abbey in Essex, denies alleged common assault on the former Manchester United star, following Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over United.

Ex-Manchester City star Richards, 35, who, like Keane, was working as a pundit for Sky Sports at the Premier League match, said he was in “disbelief” about the incident and “felt sorry for Roy”, whom he called a friend.

The ex-England international said “you wouldn’t get sent off” for CCTV footage, shown in court, that Law’s defence team alleged showed Keane elbowing the defendant in the face.

Richards also denied accusations by Law’s defence barrister that he had claimed to see the headbutt because he was “Roy’s mate” and had become the ex-Ireland international’s “stooge” and “puppy”.

Richards said: “I felt sorry for Roy. Just because of the fact you’ve come to work, to do your job and you’ve been assaulted.

“I could see he was physically shaken up. You do what any friend would do, or any colleague, step in and try to help the situation.”

He added: “It was a surreal moment. We weren’t going to a UFC match. We were at work.”

Following the match last year, footage was widely shared on social media of the former Aston Villa footballer stepping in to calm an apparent confrontation.

Discussing the aftermath of the incident, Richards said: “I grappled with the gentleman for a while.

More from Sky News:
Footage shows aftermath of London shooting
Keane told fan: ‘Meet me outside’
Dead woman in crashed car ‘might have lived’

“I believe I was saying to him: ‘What have you done that for?’

“I sort of grabbed him and pushed him towards further out of the corridor. I was basically trying to restrain him until security could deal with the matter.”

Richards said his Sky Sports colleague was “cool” and “calm” in the aftermath of the incident.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

He added: “I know he’s got this persona of being the hardman, but my relationship with Roy – we get on so well because he’s such a great guy.

“He was cool, he was calm in this situation”.

Defence barrister Charles Sherrard KC alleged Richards had not seen any headbutt and had instead claimed to see it as “Roy’s mate” and his “puppy”, adding: “You have become Roy Keane’s stooge.”

Mr Richards, who smiled as he entered the court, replied: “Strongly disagree.”

The trial continues.

Related posts:

COVID cases force England cricket team to isolate two days before Pakistan series Woman with Down’s syndrome leads legal challenge against abortion law Pair caught smuggling £19m of cocaine into UK on coach jailed for more than 30 years Zara Aleena was ‘light of our home’, family of law graduate killed on street says Manhunt launched after seagull attacked with cricket bat Former British envoy Vicky Bowman released from Myanmar prison, country’s media reports Meghan dismisses ‘ridiculous’ suggestion about why she’s missing King’s coronation Sunak apologises to LGBT veterans for armed forces ban UK could be complicit in Gaza war crimes, Tory MP warns Jockey Graham Lee in intensive care with neck injury after fall King to lead Remembrance Day service at Cenotaph hours after protests resulted in hundreds of arrests Critically ill baby has life-support treatment withdrawn