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Robbie Keane
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Robert David "Robbie" Keane (born 8 July 1980 in Tallaght, Dublin) is an Irish footballer, currently playing for Tottenham Hotspur. He is also the current captain and all-time record goalscorer for the Irish national side.
He began his professional career at Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring twice in his first team debut aged 17. The following season he was the club's leading goalscorer and scored his first international goal with Republic of Ireland. He changed club frequently between 1999 and 2002, breaking transfer fee records, but his brief spells at Inter Milan and Leeds United were unexceptional.
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Robert David "Robbie" Keane (born 8 July 1980 in Tallaght, Dublin) is an Irish footballer, currently playing for Tottenham Hotspur. He is also the current captain and all-time record goalscorer for the Irish national side.
He began his professional career at Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring twice in his first team debut aged 17. The following season he was the club's leading goalscorer and scored his first international goal with Republic of Ireland. He changed club frequently between 1999 and 2002, breaking transfer fee records, but his brief spells at Inter Milan and Leeds United were unexceptional. He joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2002 and played there for six years. The 2007–08 season was the most fruitful of his career as he set a career record of 23 goals in a season, scored a landmark 100th competitive goal for Tottenham and won his first senior honour, the Football League Cup. He moved to Liverpool in July 2008 but he spent only six months at the club and soon returned to Tottenham, where he was made club captain.
Keane is best known for his performances at Tottenham, where he gained repute as a consistent goalscorer and often finished the season having scored the most goals on his team. Keane's pedigree was reinforced when he became Ireland's record goalscorer in 2004 and Steve Staunton appointed him national team captain in 2006.
Club career
Early career
Keane started his football career with South Dublin schoolboy side Crumlin United where his talent was recognised at an early age. Keane received offers from both Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers but decided to go to the First Division side, judging that it would be harder to break into the first team at Liverpool. The fifteen year old moved to Wolves, joining their youth team.
Keane progressed through their youth ranks and made his professional debut aged 17 on 9 August 1997, scoring twice against Norwich City. The following season he excelled at the club, earning plaudits from both the press and Wolves manager Colin Lee. He went on to be the club's leading scorer, hitting the back of the net 16 times in the 1998-99 season. Keane's performances and goalscoring record with both Wolves and his national team attracted much interest from larger clubs and a move for the young striker seemed imminent given Wolves' finances. However, with three years left on his contract, Wolves sought a high price for their Irish starlet and managing director John Richards stated his reluctance to sell Keane unless their asking price was met.
Coventry City
Just weeks into the 1999-2000 season, he was sold to Premier League club Coventry City for £6m, a then-British record for a teenager. After a successful season at Coventry, where he scored 12 goals in 34 games, he came to both national and international prominence, becoming one of the hottest properties in English football and was being courted by many of the biggest clubs in football.
Inter Milan
Marcello Lippi of Inter Milan succeeded in obtaining Keane's signature, paying £13 million for the player. However, his dream move to Italy soured when Lippi was sacked soon after Keane arrived. Lippi's successor, Marco Tardelli, deemed Keane to be surplus to requirements. Keane's ambition refused to let him stagnate in Italy and in December 2000 he was loaned out to Leeds United after only 13 appearances for Inter in all competitions.
Leeds United
His Leeds career got off to an impressive start, scoring 9 goals in 14 starts before the Leeds manager, David O'Leary, made his loan deal permanent in May 2001 at a cost of £12 million. The following season was not so bright, and he found himself dropping down the pecking order. His form suffered and he only managed 10 goals in 36 appearances. Meanwhile, Leeds' financial troubles forced the club to sell many of its players and Keane joined the exodus when he was sold to Tottenham Hotspur just before the 2002-03 transfer deadline for a fee of £7 million.
Tottenham Hotspur
On signing him for Tottenham, manager Glenn Hoddle said that Keane was ideally suited to Tottenham and could make White Hart Lane his "spiritual home" for years to come. Keane had an impressive debut at Spurs, winning a penalty during a 3–2 win over West Ham. Keane's first goal for Tottenham came in a 2–1 win against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. Although Spurs finished in a disappointing tenth place, Keane was their success story of the season, finishing as Tottenham's top scorer with 13 goals, including a spectacular hat-trick in a win over Everton at White Hart Lane.
In the 2003–04 season, Spurs battled with relegation, but Keane's goals played a major part in helping secure Tottenham's Premiership status. A hat-trick against Wolves and a last minute penalty to equalise in the North London derby against Arsenal were highlights as Keane once again ended the season as Tottenham's top scorer with 16 goals.
His third season, 2004–05, was more frustrating. Despite finishing with his highest return of goals in a season for Tottenham, 17, he played second-fiddle to the likes of Jermain Defoe, Fredi Kanoute and Mido for much of the season. The frustration culminated in Keane storming from the dugout towards the end of a game against Birmingham City in April 2005 after all the substitutes had been used, meaning he would not get a chance to appear. He was fined £10,000 and forced to train with the reserves after the outburst and his future at the club was thrown into doubt.
He knuckled down after this incident but the 2005–06 season started as the previous one had ended, with Defoe being preferred to partner Mido in Tottenham's strikeforce. However, Defoe's strike-rate continued to disappoint and Keane's persistence paid off in November when manager Martin Jol eventually gave Keane a chance to replace Defoe and stake his claim.
He grabbed the chance with both hands, started playing some of the best football of his career and by March had overtaken Mido as the top goalscorer at the club. Keane would go on to finish the season with 16 league goals — making him the Premier League's joint fourth top goalscorer that season. He had also been made the vice-captain, taking the captaincy on occasions when Ledley King was not available.
Hoddle once said of Keane's personality, "He's such a bubbly lad that anyone who meets him loves him." Edgar Davids and Keane were involved in a training ground fight in December 2005, but the pair subsequently made up publicly and were seen encouraging each other on the pitch.
In February 2006, Inter Milan's owner and president, Massimo Moratti, admitted his regret at letting Keane go after being impressed by his performances at Tottenham. Keane extended his commitment to Tottenham, signing a new four year contract in March 2006. Keane was named as one of ten Spurs squad members to be struck down by norovirus on 6 May 2006. However, he still managed to play in their final game of the season against West Ham United.
Keane had a slow start to the 2006–07 season which was further set back by a knee ligament injury that Keane suffered against Middlesbrough on 5 December 2006. His coming back from injury marked the beginning of a return to form and a dynamic partnership with Dimitar Berbatov. Keane and Berbatov were jointly awarded the FA Premier League's Player of the Month Award for April 2007. Keane finished the season with a total of 22 goals in all competitions - the highest ever season tally of his career - scoring 15 goals in his last 15 appearances of the season.
Keane started in his 200th appearance for Tottenham in the final game of the 2006–07 season against Manchester City scoring the first goal in a 2–1 victory that saw Tottenham secure fifth place in the league.
He signed a new five year contract with Tottenham on 28 May 2007. On 26 December 2007 he became the thirteenth player in the history of the league to score 100 Premiership goals. 2007 proved to be a remarkable year for the striker with a total of 31 goals and 13 assists from just 40 starts. His tally of 19 league goals in the calendar year was the highest of any player in the Premier League throughout 2007.
He scored his 100th competitive goal for Tottenham in the 2–0 win against Sunderland on 19 January 2008. He is the fifteenth Tottenham player to achieve this feat. On 24 February 2008 he won his first senior honour as a player as his Tottenham side won the first League Cup Final to be played at the new Wembley Stadium, beating Chelsea 2–1 after extra time. On 12 April 2008 Keane made his 250th appearance for Spurs in the 1–1 draw with Middlesbrough. Keane finished the 2007–08 season equal top scorer for Spurs with Berbatov, with 23 goals in all competitions. His 15 Premiership goals making him the first Spurs player to score double figures in the Premier League in 6 consecutive seasons. Keane in his Tottenham career won the player of year three times (2003–04, 2005–06 and 2007–08); the first player to do so.
His consistency and strike-rate attracted the attention of Premier League rivals Liverpool. Despite initial resistance to the sale and accusations of misconduct, Tottenham agreed to a £20.3 million deal for the player, allowing Keane to join the team he supported as a child, even though he had pledged that he would remain at Tottenham just one month earlier.
Liverpool
Liverpool publicly announced their interest in Keane on 1 July 2008. Amid accusations that Liverpool had unsettled the player, Tottenham Hotspur filed a complaint to the Premier League regarding the club's conduct.
However, on 28 July 2008, Tottenham confirmed the sale of Keane for £19 million (plus a potential £1.3 million in performance based compensation). Keane agreed terms with Liverpool shortly afterwards, signing a four year contract with the Merseyside club. Following the transfer, Tottenham withdrew their official complaint against Liverpool after the club made a donation to the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and apologised for their behaviour prior to the deal. Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy publicly stated his dissatisfaction, saying he had been forced into transferring the player due to Liverpool's interference.
In his first interview as a Liverpool player, Keane expressed no regret over the move and revealed he would wear the number 7 shirt; a number previously worn by Liverpool heavyweights Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan. Keane scored his first goal for Liverpool on 1 October 2008 in a Champions League win against PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. Premier League goals were less forthcoming but he scored twice for Liverpool against West Bromwich Albion on 8 November. The double after a goalless spell came as a relief to the striker but he reflected upon the situation with maturity: "The goals have been a long time coming but deep down I knew they would. I might have worried about it when I was younger but not now."
Six weeks passed before Keane scored again but it was a crucial equaliser against Arsenal, giving Liverpool a 1–1 away draw against their league rivals. In the following premier league match against Bolton Wanderers, Keane scored two more league goals to seal a 3–0 win for Liverpool. During the January transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur made an approach for the striker and Liverpool accepted the offer, allowing the Irishman to return to his former club.
Upon his departure, Keane had accumlated only 25 appearances in all competitions during his six month tenure with the Reds, the club he had dreamed of representing since childhood. Rafael Benitez stated that Keane had not fitted into the team structure as anticipated and that a move away from the club was the best option for all concerned.
Return to Tottenham
Keane rejoined Tottenham on 2 February 2009, signing for a basic fee of £12 million, potentially rising to £19 million with add-ons. The deal meant that the cumulative transfer fees paid for Keane over his career amounted to around £75 million. He signed a four-year contract with the north London club. Keane was one of three players to make returns to Tottenham during the transfer window, along with Jermain Defoe and Pascal Chimbonda. He was also made Tottenham captain on a permanent basis a week later, having often deputised for Ledley King during his first spell there.
International career
Robbie Keane has already achieved much in the international arena. He was part of the "Golden Generation" of Republic of Ireland youth football of the late 1990s. Under the guidance of Brian Kerr, the unfancied Republic won the UEFA U-16 and U-18 European championships in 1998, and Robbie was part of the victorious U-18 side in Cyprus. In 1999, he played at the World Youth Cup in Nigeria, where the Republic reached the last 16 before going out on penalties to the hosts.
He made his first senior appearance for the Republic of Ireland against the Czech Republic in Olomouc in March 1998, scoring his first senior goal against Malta in October that year. He won his 70th cap in the Republic's 5–0 defeat of San Marino, scoring a hat-trick along the way.
He was part of the 2002 World Cup campaign in South Korea and Japan, scoring three goals in the Republic of Ireland's four games. Keane scored an injury-time equaliser against Germany in the 2002 World Cup; the only goal to be scored against Germany in the competition until the final. He also scored a last-minute equaliser against Spain from a penalty kick.
Although the Republic of Ireland failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, Keane scored four goals in the Republic's eight matches and remains their most prolific goalscorer.
Following Steve Staunton's appointment as the manager of the Republic of Ireland, Keane was appointed captain. In their first game under Staunton, Keane scored the second goal in the 3–0 victory against Sweden at Lansdowne Road, and celebrated the final match at the Lansdowne Road stadium, against San Marino, with a hat trick. Giovanni Trapattoni, who took over from Staunton, confirmed his confidence in Keane's leadership by handing him the captain's armband ahead of the Republic of Ireland's match against Serbia on 24 May 2008 which ended in a 1–1 draw. On 29 May 2008 Robbie Keane scored his 33rd international goal in their 1–0 victory over Colombia at Craven Cottage in London. He scored his 34th international goal during a friendly in Oslo, against Norway in a 1–1 draw,
and his 35th in Ireland's 1–0 over Cyprus at Croke Park on 15 October 2008. He also scored two goals against Georgia which the team won 2–1. The Republic of Ireland have never lost a game in which Robbie Keane has scored, with the exception of a 2002 World Cup against Spain, which was lost on penalties.
Personal life
On 7 June 2008 he married his long time girlfriend, former Miss Ireland contestant Claudine Palmer, in Ballybrack, South Dublin. Claudine is expecting their first child in Summer 2009.
Honours
Coventry City
Inter Milan
Tottenham Hotspur
Republic of Ireland
Career stats
Correct as of 5 March 2009
International goals
- Scores and results list Ireland's goal tally first.
| Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition | Scored(Tally) |
|---|
| 1998-10-14 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 50 | UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying | 2 (2) | | 1999-09-01 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 21 | UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying | 1 (3) | | 1999-09-08 | Ta' Qali Stadium, Mdina | | 32 | UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying | 1 (4) | | 1999-11-13 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 11 | UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying | 1 (5) | | 2000-02-23 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 20 | Friendly match | 1 (6) | | 2000-09-02 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam | | 22 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | 1 (7) | | 2001-11-10 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 20 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | 1 (8) | | 2002-02-13 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 20 | Friendly match | 1 (9) | | 2002-03-27 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 30 | Friendly match | 1 (10) | | 2002-06-05 | Kashima Stadium, Kashima, Ibaraki | | 11 | 2002 FIFA World Cup | 1 (11) | | 2002-06-11 | International Stadium of Yokohama, Yokohama | | 30 | 2002 FIFA World Cup | 1 (12) | | 2002-06-16 | Suwon Big Bird Stadium, Suwon | | 11 | 2002 FIFA World Cup | 1 (13) | | 2002-08-21 | Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki | | 30 | Friendly match | 1 (14) | | 2003-06-07 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 21 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying | 1 (15) | | 2003-06-11 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 20 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying | 1 (16) | | 2003-11-18 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 30 | Friendly match | 2 (18) | | 2004-03-31 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 21 | Friendly match | 1 (19) | | 2004-06-05 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam | | 10 | Friendly match | 1 (20) | | 2004-09-04 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 30 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | 1 (21) | | 2004-10-13 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 20 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | 2 (23) | | 2004-11-16 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 10 | Friendly match | 1 (24) | | 2005-06-04 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 22 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | 1 (25) | | 2006-03-01 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 30 | Friendly match | 1 (26) | | 2006-11-15 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | | 50 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying | 3 (29) | | 2007-08-22 | NRGi Park, Aarhus | | 40 | Friendly match | 2 (31) | | 2007-11-17 | Millennium Stadium,Cardiff | | 22 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying | 1 (32) | | 2008-05-29 | Craven Cottage, London | | 10 | Friendly match | 1 (33) | | 2008-08-20 | Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo | | 11 | Friendly match | 1 (34) | | 2008-10-15 | Croke Park, Dublin | | 10 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | 1 (35) | | 2009-02-11 | Croke Park, Dublin | | 21 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | 2 (37) |
Accolades
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