KEANE WINS PFA AWARD

ROY KEANE added the PFA Player of the Year award to his already over-burdened trophy cabinet - as his fellow professionals lauded one of the key people in Manchester United`s sixth title win in eight seasons.

Click here for the PFA Team of the Year.

Keane, who won the football writer`s award for player of the year at the end of April, recently committed his future to Manchester United and the Premiership - despite offers from Spain and Italy.

The combative Irish midfielder held off the challenges of Sunderland`s prolific striker Kevin Phillips and Harry Kewell of Leeds United to take the trophy - awarded by Fifa president Sepp Blatter at London`s Grosvenor House Hotel.

Phillips finished runner up to Keane - after proving his incredible scoring knack at the highest level with newly promoted Sunderland this year and Kewell managed both third place and the winner`s trophy for the Young Player of the Year.

Kewell has been a revelation for Leeds Unites this year, and played a major part in putting the young Yorkshire side into the Uefa cup semi-final and challenging for Champions League places with Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Keane was delighted with his award, and immediately pledged to iron out one of the more unsavoury aspects of his game - the hard time he gives to referees.

"Sometimes in the heat of the moment, when you are going for championships or fighting relegation, you get carried away. It`s been hard for referees this season. The incident with Andy D`Urso should not have happened.

"Referees are human, they are going to make mistakes. So do players, but it doesn`t get mentioned so much. I think there should be more tolerance. Hopefully we will give referees a bit of a break next season.

"With this 10-yard penalty it could be good for the game, but hopefully it won`t take away the spirit that people show."

Not everything smells of roses in Keane`s life, however and the Red Devils skipper admits he was disappointed to find that his name had been used in the letter that told Old Trafford season-ticket holders that prices were going up.

"Individuals should not have been mentioned with ticket prices. It was quite disappointing - especially as the prices were going up anyway, and I think the fans recognised that."