Before Sunderland, Celtic and Manchester United, and with just a handful of Ireland appearances behind him, Roy Keane was still learning his trade in a league and an atmosphere far removed from the glamour of the Premiership and the big European nights which were soon to follow.

Indeed, it was something of a pivitol era for many involved.

Nottingham Forest with Brian Clough at the helm were consistently fighting for trophies and the 1991-92 season brought more promise as a team backboned by Teddy Sheringham, Des Walker, Stuart Pearce and the increasingly influential Keane finished in eighth position in Division One as Leeds United claimed the title.

The Rumbelows Cup . . . aka the League, Milk, Littlewoods, CocaCola and Carling Cups . . . still held some relative prestige and Keane's extra-time winner against Spurs in the semi-final had gone some way to exorcising defeat to the London club in the previous year's FA Cup final.

However, the Gods were again unkind to them in this final and a single goal from Brian McClair was enough to give victory to Alex Ferguson's side.

The following year an interminable decline set in at Forest. After a 1-0 win against Liverpool in the first ever Premier League game to be televised on Sky television, they went on a losing streak which brought them to the bottom of the table by October and to make matters worse, chief goal scorer Sheringham signed for Spurs.

Soon after, word spread that the likes of Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United had their eye on Keane who at the time was earning just �700 per week.

Seeing the writing on the wall, Keane fought hard for a new contract and secured a threeand-a-half year deal worth �5,000 per week with a get-out clause should Forest slip out of the top flight. Despite a squad filled with quality players Forest's decline continued and the curtain finally fell during a tumultous week at the end of the 1992-93 season during which Clough announced his retirement and defeat to Sheffield United relegated Forest from the cashrich top flight.

With Clough, the man who bought Keane from Cobh Ramblers, no longer at the City Ground the Corkman exercised his right to move with Manchester United splashing out a then British record transfer fee. The real story was only beginning.