Irish football hero and premier League history top scorer Robbie Keane has announced his retirement. Adam Bate looks back on the green legend's career and future coaching prospects...
Following Blues legend Drogba's earlier announcement of hanging up his boots, Keane became the second Premier League club member to announce his retirement this month.
The trophies in the Chest of Honor are not comparable to those of Warcraft, but the Irishman's Premier League scoring record is higher than that of the Ivorians, with Drogba scoring a total of 104 Premier League goals, while Keane's stats are 126. During his time with the Blues, Drogba scored in double figures in just five of his nine seasons, while Keane scored in double figures for seven consecutive seasons starting in Coventry.
(Pictured) European national team history top scorer list
He is in the top 20 of Tottenham's all-time goalscorer list, the Premier League's all-time goalscorers list and the national team's all-time goalscorers list, a feat keane himself says he dreamed of, but his talent has been evident since the beginning of his career.
It started with Wolves
Keane, who made his career debut in Wolves' home game against Norwich, opened with a two-dollar standoff. He was extremely talented and the man who assisted him in his first goal had no doubt about it.
"He's not timid," Dane Goodman told Sky Sports, "it's refreshing that a young player who juggles in a youth team has no intention of changing his style on the first team." He continued to go his own way, and from that moment on I was convinced that he would have a great career, but then it happened more than I could have imagined. In terms of skill, he is the best in the world, and some people say that if he can be a little faster, the title of superstar will be well deserved. The rare thing is that he has not changed, no matter how successful he has been. I admire this because I've seen so many people who have been carried away by fame and fortune, and he's always in touch with his fellow Wolves youth team and down-to-earth. ”
(Second goal for Wolves debut)
Brilliant White Deer Lane
No one can forget his signature celebrations, as at Wolves, Keane also scored two goals for Coventry's debut, making the new owner's £6 million immediately rewarded, which set a transfer fee record for a under-20 at the time.
A season later, he actually came to Italy, joined Inter Milan, honed his skills around a group of world-class top scorers, the Nerazzurri had Ronaldo, Vieri, Zamorano, Souk. How a junior could compete with the Big Four for the main position, Keane soon returned to England to join Leeds United.
After moving to Tottenham, Keane ushered in the glory of his career, scoring a total of 122 goals during his two games, which made him one of the top 10 goalscorers in Tottenham, but was pushed down by Kane, who later emerged. However, the fans and teammates of White Hart Lane have a deep memory of him.
(Pictured) Non-England players Premier League all-time top scorers
"Sometimes when you talk about your former teammates, there may be some good and bad memories, but with Keane there is only good," Danny Murphy told Sky Sports, "we became very good buddies because my father had just died at that time, and he was facing the same family changes, and we were naturally close, because we understood each other's mood and sadness very well." Later, we became more and more acquainted, even with a sense of humor. He was always smiling and always amusing people. His training is very good, he enjoys everything like a child, he does his best in every link, you will not feel alone with such a teammate around, and it is a blessing to be friends with him in the club. ”
Keane's combination with Berbatov is nostalgic, but the excellent technique guarantees that he can be paired with a striker of any character. "He's a great shooter, but he's also great at assisting," Murphy said, "he was able to pull back deep, start organizing from midfield, he could cruise around the horn flag, he was a very smart player, he ran very well." More importantly, he has an iron mind to match his skills, which is the difference between many stars and players. He loved big scenes, and in the team at the time, he excelled. ”
Galaxy and later
Keane briefly moved to Liverpool in 2008 but soon returned to White Hart Lane. "It doesn't matter if he should leave or not, because I feel like he's done enough before he leaves that everyone will remember his greatness," Murphy said. He then moved to Celtic, West Ham United and Aston Villa, fixing his Premier League goals at 126.
That put Keane at No. 5 in the all-time top scorers list of non-England players in the Premier League, ahead of Henry, Aguero, Van Persie and Hasselbaink. "Some players are really remembered when they leave," Murphy said.
After leaving England, Keane scored more than a hundred goals for the Los Angeles Galaxy in the United States and lifted the Major League Cup three times. He then went to far away India, where he extended his career as long as he could, and for Murphy, all this meant Keane's dedication to football.
"There are a lot of top players who don't really love football, but Keane is a footballer," Murphy said, "he's the kind of player who can't get into the line of fire with a slight injury and wants to stick to it when he's sick." He also never misses training because he really loves football. ”
Irish teaching assistant
This also explains why his Career in the Irish national team can reach an astonishing 18 years, and there may be players who will think that the national team is just a task, but Keane has enjoyed it. Even the various friendly matches are enjoyable, which has led some good people to think that he is doing this to brush up on the data, but he has no shortage of wonderful and important goals in the national team.
Most famously, Keane drew with Germany in injury time at the 2002 World Cup, allowing McCarthy's Ireland to advance to the round of 16 before scoring a penalty against Spain and hitting again in a penalty shootout.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier play-offs, Ireland vs. France, Keane's goal almost got them into the World Cup, only to lose to Henry's controversial handball. He scored 68 goals for Ireland, the number one scorer in history, while Quinn had just 21 on record behind him.
Now that he's starting his coaching career in Ireland, Murphy is very bullish on the prospects. "I think he'll succeed because he's starting very well, the Irish players have a lot of respect for him and sometimes you need to go and earn respect, but as a legend, Keane's appeal is already there and it makes him start very high. And this team is also very tough, very much in line with his personal temperament. So I think it's a very wise appointment, and 16 years ago he also worked with McCarthy to create glory for Ireland, believing they would have a better future. ”
(Yang Gun Gun)