As Robbie Keane departs for India, joining his eleventh club in a career stretching 20 years, there’s a feeling of longing the inevitable retirement of a player that has never truly received the appreciation he deserves.
Five seasons ago, the 37-year-old joined the All-Star retirement home in Los Angeles, expected to see out the remainder of his days in the sun drenched beaches, looking back at a career well done. Instead, he looked fresher than he ever did in the States – prolific in front of goal and often in the highlight reels for spectacular strikes, soundly proving that despite losing a yard or two of pace that he had never lost the striker’s touch that helped him destroy Ireland’s all time goalscoring record.
And with each of those 68 goals in the green shirt, there’s a taste of under-appreciation for a player that gave so much to Irish football. Even during his days in LA, he’d pull himself away from the sandy beaches to fly back to Lansdowne Road, even if he may only warm the bench. 146 caps and years of unforgettable highs and devastating lows across each corner of Europe, he was an admirable ever-present in the face of often unfair criticism. Never receiving the adoration of players more successful at club-level, Keane could only ever prove his worth on the international stage, which he did so without question.
That determined dedication is the reason why he’s one of the most prolific international goalscorers of all time. Behind only Cristiano Ronaldo amongst active players, he has been a deadly finisher that has delivered qualification to a World Cup and two European Championships, his strike past Oliver Kahn in Japan in 2002 perhaps Ireland’s most famous goal. As a 10-year-old, Germany were the world-beaters Ireland had no chance of competing against – not until Robbie Keane stepped up and buried the ball into the roof of the net, knocking the roof out of every homestead in the country.
As Keane departs for India, ignoring the advances of Harry Redknapp’s Birmingham, he’s showing a desire to compete and experience a part of the world he hasn’t before. It would’ve been nice to see him back in English football, perhaps enjoying a Jermain Defoe type renaissance who completely regenerated his career after a spell in Toronto. But he would’ve got sucked into the high intensity of the Championship and the high expectations to deliver.
It would have been nice to see him in the League of Ireland, bringing a light to a league that is often in the doldrums. But on a broader scale, the league needs much more revitalisation than the arrival of an ageing legend, inevitably splitting the opinion of the league community.
And that’s what he’s always seemed to do; split opinion. Stephen Hunt, his former international teammate, brought forward an interesting theory that a lot of supporters could never warm to his bravado and confident demeanour, that Irish culture demands more humility and honour. The outrageous celebration rolling over his head and shooting with his fingers didn’t help, but it’s an interesting note as to why Keane has never been universally lauded as much as others.
"It was 'look at me'. You could have made a lung-busting run to set it up for him, someone could have put it on a plate, but it was still all about him. It didn't matter what type of goal it was, even a tap-in. It was as if he was saying, 'I am the king'. There would almost be this look on his face asking, 'Are you surprised it's me?' He definitely turns into that when he scores, craving the attention.”
"That's maybe not seen as the Irish way, and it might have counted against him with some people, but it is the way of so many great players. It is the arrogance of those who achieve the records he did. It is probably what it takes.”
But that was Keane’s thing, and throughout his career his only thing – scoring goals. He was never the fastest, or tallest or most athletic, and in Irish sporting circles never the most marketable and interesting. But his goalscoring instincts are what set him apart from the rest and which is what he should forever be acclaimed for, never failing to deliver. His record speaks for itself and is more than enough to see him go down as one of Ireland’s greatest sportspeople.
By prolonging his career – Keane is displaying an unrepentant love for the sport and a love for scoring goals. When he’s finally gone, then we finally begin appreciating the true class he displayed throughout one of the greatest international career of any player. Until then, however, don’t be surprised if he grabs the headlines in India with more stunning goals.
