Keane vows to keep duo

Jones and Gordon 'untouchables' for Keane

Last updated: 9th May 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Keane vows to keep duo

Jones: Going nowhere

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Sunderland boss Roy Keane has warned off any clubs making a move for key duo Kenwyne Jones and Craig Gordon.

Keane is busy making changes to his squad for next season after securing safety in the club's first season back in the Premier League, but he insists he will not sell Jones or Gordon.

Liverpool and Chelsea have been credited with an interest in striker Jones, while goalkeeper Gordon is thought to have a long list of admirers.

However, Keane says the pair are his 'untouchables' and that they will not be leaving the Stadium of Light this summer whatever the offer.

"No sometimes really means yes in the transfer market but in the cases of Kenwyne and Craig no means no without a doubt," said Keane.

Untouchable

"Kenwyne and our goalkeeper are definitely not going anywhere. There are certain players who are untouchable.

"Sometimes a club might think they might get £20m or £30m and invest it and it's a good deal for everyone but it certainly wouldn't be a good deal for us to let Kenwyne or our goalkeeper go. It would set us back a hell of a lot. They are no-gos - even if we were offered crazy money.

"I think Craig is a brilliant goalkeeper. He is a young man and this year he's done OK for us but I've no doubt that, in the next few years, he'll become one of the best in the world, if not the best.

"What he's lacking at the moment is experience. And particularly in our team this season he has been tested. He really has.

"The biggest pluses this year have been him and Kenwyne. All our players have so much to learn but the good thing with those two is that I look at them and they want to learn. I'm not sure with some of the others that they want to learn too much."