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Fullname: Robert David Keane
aka: Robbie Keane, Keano, Robert Keane
Born: 8 July 1980
Birthplace: Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland
Height: 5ft 8in, 1.73m
Signed: 1 Feb 2010
Left: 1 June 2010
Fee: 6mth Loan deal
Position: Striker, Forward
Debut: Kilmarnock 1-0 Celtic, League, 2 Feb 2010
Internationals: Republic of Ireland
International Caps: 146
International Goals: 68
Biog
A vastly experienced and talented forward, Robbie Keane was a well travelled striker who began his professional career as a teenager with Wolverhampton Wanderers. After impressing with some fine performances for the Black Country side he moved across the Midlands in 1999 in a £6 million switch to Coventry. After a single season with the Sky Blues he moved to Inter Milan when Marcello Lippi splashed out £13m for this player now regarded by some commentators as one of the hottest properties in European football.
However that move turned sour when Lippi was sacked and Robbie Keane was loaned out to Leeds United. That deal became permanent in May 2001 when the Elland Road side paid out £12 million. With Leeds in deep financial trouble Robbie Keane signed for Spurs in 2002, making almost 200 appearances and scoring 80 goals for the Londoners.
Having established himself as one of the most accomplished forwards in the Premiership Robbie Keane was on the move again, this time Liverpool paid out £20m in July 2008. But Robbie Keane would only make 15 appearances for the Anfield club and in February 2009 he was back at Spurs for a cut-price £12m.
Celtic Loan Period
Next thing you know, he signed for Celtic on 1st February 2010 agreeing to a 6-month loan deal with the Bhoys.
It was a stunning deadline day capture of the Tottenham man topping off a remarkably busy transfer window for the Hoops. Dublin-born Robbie Keane had long been touted as a possible Celtic target, so much so that the “Robbie Keane rumour” had become a transfer window tradition & joke among the Parkhead support.
Given this – and the fact that Robbie Keane’s reported £65,000 per week wages meant he was regarded out of Celtic’s price range – it was a massive surprise when news of the potential deal was revealed on Sky Sports News just seven hours before the closure of the window. He had though come on some cut-price deal.
With Celtic cyberspace in near meltdown the switch was finally confirmed a little after 8pm. A crowd of 5,000 Hoops fans gathered outside Celtic Park in freezing temperatures to greet their new ‘idol’ at just a little after midnight.
It was however to prove a rather bittersweet six months for all parties. Robbie Keane was to shine and he would prove to be every bit the star the Celtic support had long hoped for. Unfortunately though even the undoubted class of the Irishman couldn’t prevent a trophyless season which was punctuated by occasional moments of utter humiliation.
Robbie Keane’s debut came at Kilmarnock the day after his last-gasp signing and almost immediately it was clear the move would not be the fairytale all Celtic fans had hoped for.
In typical Celtic style the support soon came crashing to earth from high of the night before. Undoubtedly tired from the whirlwind events of the previous 24 hours Robbie Keane laboured to inspire a disjointed Celtic side as the hosts performed a smash and grab raid and took all three points with a 1-0 victory.
The next game, Robbie Keane came off the bench at half-time and he would net a penalty as Celtic claimed a 4-2 victory at Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup. Throughout the second half Keane had tormented the opposition backline. His excellent touch, vision and movement stood out in a performance which tantalised the Bhoys support.
Now in full stride Robbie Keane began to look like exactly what he was – a class above anything in the SPL. Despite Celtic’s league hopes seemingly being extinguished before Robbie had hardly kicked a ball in the Hoops the Irishman remained a joy to watch as he gave a lesson in top class forward play.
With Rangers’ Majid Bougherra shockingly allowed to cynically kick and hack Keane out of the clash with Rangers at Ibrox, Celtic were left with just the Scottish Cup to concentrate on. With a tough tie at Kilmarnock awaiting there was intense hope among the Scottish media that Keane and Celtic would once more come a cropper at Rugby Park.
Robbie Keane though had other ideas and produced a wonderful second-half hat-trick to seal a 3-0 triumph and keep Celtic’s season alive for at least a little while longer. That second-half display was now typical of the form Keane was showing in the Hoops as he bagged nine goals in nine games.
However, a disappointing season would then hit rock bottom. Celtic were thrashed 4-0 at St Mirren in the league – a result which meant the end for Celtic manager Tony Mowbray. Neil Lennon would be appointed interim manager and despite a couple of improved performances in the SPL the Bhoys crashed out of the Scottish Cup with a humiliating 2-0 Hampden semi-final defeat at the hands of Ross County.
Robbie Keane had played in both of these encounters but he was powerless to make the difference as tactical naivety, a lack of desire and defensive ineptitude combined to derail Celtic’s season.
Under Lennon, Celtic finally put together a good run of form and as ever Keane’s ability and goals were at the fore. However, as the Irishman’s loan spell came towards its conclusion the Celtic fans were left wondering “What If?“.
Robbie Keane had been a refreshing respite from the drudgery in much of the season. He’d scored numerous goals, most of which were of top class quality. However, it was notable that in each of the most important matches (few that they were) that he’d failed to score in any of them. He failed to score in either game again Rangers and in the Ross County Scottish Cup semi-final defeat. Add in the 4-0 defeat by St Mirren, then question marks can be hung above his head. On the other hand, in the Rangers matches he was hacked out the games, and he can hardly be made held culpable alone for the defeats in the St Mirren & Ross County games.
Post-Celtic
After his loan at Celtic – a move which the player seemed to enjoy thoroughly despite the lack of silverware – Keane returned to Tottenham. But his return was a waste of time, mainly as an increasingly improving Spurs side did not need his services. He then moved to the US with a short stint at Aston Villa beforehand. It became a running joke by fans to mock that whenever he moved sides that he was proud to now be playing for his ‘childhood heroes’ etc etc….
At the end of it all, he chased the money, the move to Celtic possibly being an exception (Celtic didn’t have as much to offer in pay relative to the wealthier clubs in England). Sadly, he won’t be able to look back proudly on an enviable collection of well deserved medals from major competitions, but just a long CV of illustrious clubs and no more.
Away from the club game, with their options limited he remained the lynch pin of the Ireland national side’s attack, firing the side to Euro 2012. However, once there the side flopped and Robbie Keane’s reputation was tarnished following his poor displays. Shouldn’t take away from his overall record for his national side, for whom he is a record holder for goals scored and most caps, and he is actually one of the highest scorers ever in international football. Something to be proud of but not all are too impressed (especially with the decline of the prestige of international football).
Overall, Robbie Keane’s career was one of a very good talent with a very fine international record, lots of big transfer fees but surprisingly little much more to give credit on.
He never lost his Celtic roots, and played in front of 48,000 supporters for a ‘Celtic Legends’ select side at Anfield v their Liverpool counterparts in a charity match in March 2023, and actually played a period in the match for both sides.
Quotes
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I would have liked to go back down the road with a medal, but it is not to be the case. Personally, I’d have to say things have gone well because I have enjoyed my football and scored goals. But at the end of the day, as a footballer, you look at how the team is doing and that is how you judge things. I have never regretted anything I have ever done in football. You do things at the time for a reason and I always wanted to play for this club. It was a dream for me to put the jersey on and I would never change it.”
Robbie Keane (Apr 2010)
“(Celtic) was a good time for me. It was the right move. I haven’t had the chance to go back. It was an incredible time, although some of the pitches weren’t the best.”
Robbie Keane (2013)
Interviewer: “The big one ‘which team did you support as a boy?’ because there have been so many.”
Keane: “People forget in Ireland you support Celtic and that’s it. Then for me, it was Liverpool. That’s the norm over here.”
Robbie Keane (2014)
“Scoring goals when you are a striker, no matter where you are, you get that exciting feeling,” Ireland’s captain said. “But certainly, growing up and watching Celtic and having the privilege to play here, and managing to score a few goals while I was here was extra special. So of course it would be nice if that was the case (scoring again at Celtic Park).
“It would certainly be up there with my best moments. It’s very hard to predict that now but if that were the case then I’d obviously be delighted.
“Honestly, the whole experience of being a player here was fantastic. Coming from London and coming to Celtic Park late at night to find 5,000 people there waiting for me was one of the best feelings you can ever get as a player.
“Just walking out on to Celtic Park and putting on that green and white jersey, well, from start to finish the experience for me was great. I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Robbie Keane (2014)
Playing Career
| Club | From | To | Fee | League | Scottish/FA Cup | League cup | Other | ||||
| Celtic | 01/02/2010 | 01/06/2010 | Loan | 15 (1) | 12 | 2 (1) | 4 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Tottenham | 02/02/2009 | £ 12000000 | 29 (6) | 11 | 1 (1) | 1 | 2 (1) | 2 | 0 (1) | 0 | |
| Liverpool | 28/07/2008 | 02/02/2009 | £ 20300000 | 16 (3) | 5 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 6 (1) | 2 |
| Tottenham | 31/08/2002 | 28/07/2008 | £ 7000000 | 158 (39) | 80 | 15 (4) | 11 | 14 (5) | 7 | 15 (4) | 9 |
| Leeds | 21/05/2001 | 31/08/2002 | £ 12000000 | 16 (12) | 4 | 0 (0) | 0 | 2 (0) | 3 | 6 (0) | 3 |
| Leeds | 20/12/2000 | 20/05/2001 | Loan | 12 (6) | 9 | 2 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Inter | 01/08/2000 | 21/05/2001 | £ 13000000 | 4 (2) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Coventry | 18/08/1999 | 01/08/2000 | £ 6000000 | 30 (1) | 12 | 3 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Wolves | 01/08/1997 | 18/08/1999 | Trainee | 67 (7) | 24 | 3 (2) | 2 | 7 (2) | 3 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Totals | £70,300,000 | 347 (77) | 157 | 27 (8) | 18 | 25 (9) | 15 | 27 (6) | 14 | ||
| goals / game | 0.37 | 0.51 | 0.44 | 0.42 | |||||||
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 2009/10 Statistics | |||||||||||
| TEAM | Competition | GS | SB | G | A | SH | SG | FC | FS | YC | RC |
| Celtic | Scottish Cup | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Celtic | League | 15 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 38 | 23 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
GS: Games Started, SB: Used as Substitute, G: Goals, A: Assists, SH: Shots, SG: Shots on goal,
YC: Yellow Cards, RC: Red Cards, FC: Fouls Committed, FS: Fouls Suffered, SV: Saves, OF: Offsides,
W: Wins, D: Draws, L: Losses
Honours with Celtic
none
KDS Honours
| KDS Honours |
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| MOTM Winners 2009-10 |
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| 07-Mar-10 | Falkirk 0-2 Celtic | SPL |
| 13-Mar-10 |
Kilmarnock 0-3 Celtic |
SPL |
| 27-Mar-10 |
Celtic 3-1 Kilmarnock |
SPL |
| Mar- 10 |
Mar-10 Player of the Month |
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