When Dwight Yorke sent a well-meaning text message to his departing Sunderland manager Roy Keane, he could never have expected the X-rated and and abusive reply that he received moments later: GO F*** YOURSELF!

Yorke sent the text to his former Manchester United colleague and fellow treble-winner after Keane dramatically chose to jump from a sinking Sunderland ship with the Black Cats docked in the Premier league's relegation zone.

"So I sent him a text saying how sorry I was how things had turned out, but thanking him for the chance at Sunderland and wishing him all the best for the future." Yorke explains in his new autobiography, Born to Score, as documented by News of the World.

"Ten minutes later, I got my reply: 'Go f*** yourself." He added.

Yorke goes on to explain that he still has the text saved on his phone - because to this day it both shocks him and yet at the same time doesn't really shock him at all. Keane's behaviour during the Black Cat's poor form in late 2008 had become increasingly erratic.

The Trinidad and Tobago man revealed that Keano's half-time team talks had descended into violent, foul-mouthed rants in which he smashed up a tactics board, slapped captain Dean Whitehead and screamed insults at his players.

Keane eventually quit on December 4th, citing differences with Sunderland 30% shareholder Ellis Short and a strained relationship with club chairman Niall Quinn as key contributors to his decision.