The Sunderland manager Roy Keane has launched a scathing attack on the Fifa vice-president Jack Warner, dismissing him as a "clown" after a row over the withdrawal of Dwight Yorke from an international fixture.

Warner, a special advisor to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, wrote to Keane this week to accuse him of "insensitivity and disrespect" after Yorke was withdrawn from the squad to face the United States in a World Cup qualifier on Wednesday. Keane, furious that the letter had been leaked to the media, was quick to show his contempt.

"It's just ridiculous. This clown is writing letters through the media," he said. "I spoke to the man on Wednesday myself and I told him exactly what I thought about him. He is probably a small man and he has got this 'Small-Man Syndrome'. The world is against him. If he is writing a letter representing Trinidad, why is he putting it under Fifa?

"If he is vice-president - and remember, he is vice-president, he is not president yet - God help us. People worry about the game and agents and directors of football and managers losing their jobs - we should be worried about people like him."

Keane also railed against Warner's failure to apologise for the long-term injury sustained by Kenwyne Jones on international duty against England.

"He has not once called or dropped a letter about Kenwyne. Kenwyne got injured playing in a friendly. I don't know what deal was going on with England that time, obviously a deal for [World Cup] votes or whatever. Kenwyne injured his knee even though he had broken his wrist in the last game for us and I was pretty sure he wasn't available."

Keane reserved his final blast for Yorke himself: "Yorkie is 36 years of age. He has not played in the Premier League since he busted his cheekbone [in pre-season], and he goes over and he played the first game, 90 minutes.

"He couldn't play Saturday, Wednesday and then try to get involved for us on Saturday, no chance, absolutely no chance. You have got to prioritise certain things at his age."