Roy Keane has issued a withering attack on football’s obsession with celebrity and the WAG culture that breeds “soft, weak” players. In an echo of his infamous “prawn sandwich” diatribe against corporate supporters, the Sunderland manager turned on the growing number of players who are more concerned with cash, photo shoots and shops than sporting glory.

As Manchester United captain, Keane, one of the game’s genuine hard-men, was unabashed about criticising team-mates who “lost the hunger that got the Rolex, the cars and the mansion”, but since his move into management he has been appalled by the motives behind many transfers. “Priorities have changed for footballers and they are being dictated to by their wives and girlfriends,” he said.

His comments may chime with England supporters, whose team’s stuttering progress in the World Cup finals last summer was accompanied by the tabloid-friendly excesses of their partners. Sunderland fans may also approve. If there are occasions when their club lose out on transfer targets to London glamour, then, as Keane, 36, put it, “those are the type of people I don’t want at our club anyway”.

“I find it surprising that geography seems to play such a big part,” the Irishman said, “or that players let their wives decide. I think it’s weak. You see it with a couple of big players now. Clearly their wives and girlfriends are running their lives and that’s a bad sign. I realise it is part of the package and more so when there are children and schools involved, but ultimately you’re a footballer.

“Retire at 35 or 36, you can live wherever you bloody well like – London, Monaco, wherever – and any half-decent footballer will be a multi-millionaire anyway. Why is there such a big attraction with London? It would be different if it was Chelsea, Arsenal or maybe Tottenham, but when they go to a smaller club just because it’s in London, then it’s clearly because of the shops.

“Their priorities are not the same as mine. We will do the best for our players’ families, but we’ve had a player this summer who didn’t even ring us back because his wife wanted to move to London. And shopping was mentioned. It might astonish many people, but it’s true.

“That’s not a football move, it’s a lifestyle move. To me that player is weak.

It happens at big clubs, too. I could name players whose wives and girlfriends are running their lives, doing photo shoots, that kind of stuff. They say they’re not comfortable doing it – well don’t. And these so-called stars are people we’re supposed to look up to. Well, they’re weak. They’re soft.”

While Keane mentioned no names, players known to have rejected Sunderland’s advances since their promotion include David Nugent, who joined Portsmouth from Preston North End, Leighton Baines, who left Wigan Athletic for Everton, Chris Baird, who exchanged Southampton for Fulham, and Mido, who is expected to complete a £6.8 million transfer from Tottenham to Middlesbrough today.

The North East has a plethora of designer shops and some of Britain’s most spectacular coastline, while Durham – Keane, Theresa, his wife, and their family live close by – boasts a centre of learning and architectural beauty. “People who get bored coming up here are bored for one reason – because they’re boring,” Keane said.

“A couple of years ago, I nearly went to Juventus. People spoke to me about Turin and said, ‘Ooh, Milan would be nicer’. But I replied that I wouldn’t be going there for the bloody shops. It should be a footballing decision. In the same way, you don’t need to live in London or Manchester to be happy, or be surrounded by expensive shops or fancy cars.

“What’s your priority? My wife and her shopping, or my football? Or money? If someone doesn’t want to come to Sunderland because their wife likes shopping in London, it’s a sad state of affairs.”