ROY KEANE CALLS OUT LEEDS UNITED STAR FOLLOWING HIS POOR DISPLAY DESPITE WIN AGAINST BIRMINGHAM, HE’S BEEN TORN APART

Roy Keane has once again sparked debate across the footballing world after delivering a scathing assessment of Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin following the club’s narrow FA Cup victory over Birmingham City on February 15, 2026. Despite the win at St. Andrew’s helping Daniel Farke’s side progress to the fifth round, Keane was in no mood for celebration, choosing instead to focus on what he called a “shambolic” individual display from the England international.
​In a post-match segment that has since gone viral, the former Manchester United captain argued that Calvert-Lewin—who has enjoyed a remarkable career revival at Elland Road with 10 goals this season—looked “completely off the pace” during the encounter. “I don’t care if they won the game; you cannot have a striker who is essentially a spectator for the time he was on the pitch,” Keane remarked with his trademark bluntness. “He was recently a December Player of the Month, yet tonight he looked like a player who has completely lost his appetite for the fight. Leeds are in a battle to prove they belong in the top tier, and right now, he’s playing like he’s in a testimonial.”
​The criticism follows a period where Calvert-Lewin had been hailed as one of the signings of the season after joining Leeds on a free transfer from Everton. While Daniel Farke has consistently defended his striker, citing the physical illness that saw him miss the mid-week clash against Chelsea, Keane remained unmoved. He pointed to the striker’s lack of involvement before being substituted, suggesting that the “statuesque” performance was symptomatic of a player who had “gone into his shell” despite his otherwise “red-hot form” in early 2026.
​Social media has been divided by the “tearing apart,” with some fans agreeing that the striker’s performance was lacklustre compared to his recent standards, while others feel Keane’s analysis was overly harsh given the player’s recent recovery from illness. Regardless of the fan reaction, the “Roy Keane effect” has put Calvert-Lewin under an intense microscope. As Leeds prepares for a pivotal run of Premier League fixtures and a push for the FA Cup, all eyes will be on whether the striker can respond to being publicly called out or if the “torn apart” label will stifle his bid for an England recall ahead of the 2026 World Cup.