Robbie Keane Tribute: A True Greatness Steps Into The Shadows

Robbie Keane has bowed out of international football in the best possible way after scoring in the 4-0 win over Oman. Derby County defender Cyrus Christie was part of the friendly game, which was largely billed as a testimonial for Keane. To put things into perspective, Christie was just a five-year-old when Keane made his debut for the Republic of Ireland in 1998. Almost 2 decades of representing the national team has enabled Keane to make 146 appearances for the national team. His goal, which would be his last and final international goal, against Oman is the 68^th of his stellar career.

The talent within the striker was obvious to see from his teens. Keane was one of the golden generation that was successful at the UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship in 1998. After excelling in this tournament, Keane went on to prove that he is fit for the senior team by performing exceptionally well at the World Youth Cup a year later. By then, his talent had started making noises at the senior team level and Keane was handed his debut by former Wolves coach Mick McCarthy.

Since his debut, Keane has largely been showcasing his international skills in qualification games. The majority of his goals have come in UEFA Euro qualifying, World Cup qualifying, and international friendly games. In fact, Keane has scored only three goals in major tournaments like the European Championship and the World Cup, but these are not bad figures considering that he made only nine appearances in these competitions.

Keane may have had only one cup from his time in European football, but there is little doubt that he is amongst there with the best. Some strikers rely on the physical ability to be successful, but the Irishman is an excellent reader of the game. Keane manages to find himself at the right spot at the right time more often than not. Even though he has played for a number of clubs like Inter Milan, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and LA Galaxy, he will forever be remembered for his time with Tottenham.

Ireland could have benefited immensely from having a forward like Keane. Sadly, the rest of the team being less competitive means that Keane and Ireland have not had the opportunity to fill the trophy cabinet. Football, though, is not just about trophies and Keane is probably a great modern-day example of this fact.