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Roy Keane has revealed he would never have forgotten a drugs test "like Rio Ferdinand did".

The Manchester United legend's new book , "The Second Half", lifts the lid on his wild time in the game during a glittering career at the very top of football.

In a revealing passage Keane uncovers what Ferdinand's missed drug test back in 2003 had on the team and what he would have done in the defender's situation.

"He [Rio] suffered for it and so did the team," he writes. "If it had been me, and the doctor had said I had to do a drugs test, I'd have gone and done it. It wasn't something I'd have forgotten.

Roy Keane: Career in pics:

"It wouldn't have been like collecting a letter at the office, or remembering your boots. When a doctor says you've got to do a drugs test, it's not an everyday thing. But then, some people are genuinely forgetful.

"I don't think I was annoyed a the time, and I don't think the other players were either. But, ultimately, the team suffered. I didn't look at Rio and think that he'd been up to no good, or that there was a hidden reason for what had occurred.

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"I think he genuinely forgot. We paid the price. He was a very good player and we missed him, especially in the second half of the season when the crunch games were coming up.”

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