The no-nonsense pundit Roy Keane, known for his gruff exterior, couldn't help but acknowledge his future son-in-law, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, following the his goal in England's dominant display against the Republic of Ireland.
The Southampton center-back, at the fresh age of 22, seized the opportunity during his first senior call-up by netting a debut goal in the 5-0 triumph Sunday evening.
As Ireland grimaced through a relentless onslaught from the Three Lions – Harwood-Bellis's header further twisted the knife after Liam Scales' dismissal and Harry Kane's penalty conversion, with Anthony Gordon, Conor Gallagher, and Jarrod Bowen also chipping in to complete the demolition job.
Liverpool coach makes exciting Rio Ngumoha prediction after first team recognition Liverpool injury latest and possible return dates including Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo JotaEngaged to Keane's daughter, Harwood-Bellis inadvertently drew a rare grin from the Manchester United great, who was on the pundit bench for ITV Sport. Reflecting on the moment, Keane admitted: "It's almost as good as Kane's goal. It's bittersweet for me, this," while reviewing the goal footage.
When Mark Pougatch, host of ITV Sport, brought up Harwood-Bellis's connection to Keane for uninformed onlookers, Keane humorously retorted: "It's not done and dusted yet! Listen, things can change really quickly in the Keane household!"
Keane then shared some positive thoughts on the young player, saying, "It's good for him to make his debut and he's a bit of a goal threat. He's a nice kid and his family have done a really great job."
England managed to triumph in style with Lee Carsley at the helm before Thomas Tuchel takes charge in 2025. After the match at Wembley, Harry Kane took a moment to appreciate England Under-21 coach Carsley, who is set to return to his previous role, expressing to ITV: "He has been top drawer, him and all the staff. After the Euros it was never going to be easy to come and go straight into the Nations League and sometimes the motivation is a bit less. I'm really glad we won today and finish off on a high."
