Kieran's a lively test for Keane

"He's 18," said the Sunderland manager. "Jesus, I think back to what I was doing at 18 — disgraceful."

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Yesterday, Keane completed the £5.5million signing of winger Kieran Richardson, a fairly lively 22-year-old, from Premiership champions Manchester United.

And only last week the Sunderland manager paid a hefty £4m for striker Michael Chopra, a player who was allowed to leave Newcastle United to join Cardiff for an eighth of that price 12 months ago.

Few should be surprised that controversial Keane is doing it his way — his entire football career has been about having that singleminded drive — but there are still many raised eyebrows over his recruitment policy this summer.

Richardson and Chopra joined Greg Halford and Russell Anderson as the new recruits at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland supporters, for all their unquestioned belief in Keane and chairman Niall Quinn, did not expect to see £13m spent on the quartet as the club prepares for a return to the Premiership.

In Richardson, they have acquired a player similar to Stokes who is likely to keep Keane on his toes. Even at 22 there is a swagger, a blacked-out Porsche and a sky-high belief in what he can achieve.

That is no bad thing, because Keane likes confidence. He also likes ability which Richardson, a pacy natural left-sided player, has in abundance.

He will be a regular in the new season and he will be expected to embrace the responsibility. That could be a problem.

Richardson frustrated United boss Sir Alex Ferguson on some days and then showed the potential to earn a new contract on others.

In 2006, when United struggled past Crewe at Gresty Road in a Carling Cup tie, Richardson missed out on what should have been one of the defining moments of his Old Trafford career.

He was expected to emerge as the voice of experience, the young leader among a team of boys.

It did not happen. Ferguson was unhappy with the performance in a 2-1 victory that was ground out in extra-time and he let it be known that the lack of authority shown by Richardson was one of the key reasons for such an insipid display.

He was banished to the reserves and, in truth, his Manchester United career never properly recovered.

Twelve months earlier, his United career could not have looked much rosier and, fresh from his inspirational form while on loan at Bryan Robson's West Bromwich Albion side, he was rewarded with a fouryear contract.

Ferguson had taken the winger from West Ham. He had pedigree, having had trials with Arsenal as a youngster. Therein has come great belief and great confidence.

Yet that self-belief was simply too much for Stuart Pearce, who ditched Richardson from his starting line-up in the Under 21 European Championships this summer after just one match.

Richardson has not been helped for the past two months by Channel Four's Big Brother programme, where the key protagonist is his cousin, Charley Uchea.

She has name-dropped him relentlessly and promised passes to the Manchester United players' lounge this season — although that may now prove slightly difficult.

She drips the kind of bling that will not sit well with Keane and the team spirit he has spent 12 months carefully forging. Richardson likes the high life. He will have to tread very carefully with his new manager, whom he played alongside at Old Trafford.

Richardson does have eight England caps and plays in a leftsided position where any sort of form will see him given more exposure at international level.

Crucially, he was the recipient of glowing praise from Keane's former team-mate Robson, the ex-United and England skipper.

Richardson's form on loan at The Hawthorns in 2005 played a crucial part in keeping West Bromwich in the Premiership.

"He trained like a Manchester United player," said Robson. "You could tell he had come from Manchester United."

Richardson treated every game as one he had to win.

Do that at your new club, Kieran, and you will not have a problem with the boss.