Robbie Keane Retires From Football

By Joshua Walters

Former Tottenham Hotspurs and Republic of Ireland national team forward Robbie Keane has retired from football after a twenty-three-year professional career.

The former Ireland kingpin said in a message published by BBC on Wednesday, his time as a footballer has exceeded his expectations. Keane retired as a player-manager for Indian Super League side ATK and will join Mick McCarthy's coaching staff in the Ireland national team.

“Today, after 23 wonderful years, I am formally announcing my retirement as a professional footballer. From Crumlin United around the world to the likes of Milan, London, and Los Angeles, I could never have imagined the path my football life would take.”

”It has exceeded all the hopes I had as a football-mad boy growing up in Dublin.”

Keane, 38, captained the Irish national team from March 2006 until his international retirement in August 2016 and is the side’s all-time leading goal scorer with 68 goals in 146 appearances. 

Keane’s professional club football career started in 1997 with Wolverhampton Wanderers before moves to Inter Milan, Leeds United, Tottenham, Liverpool, and LA Galaxy.

Keane’s longest club football stint was with Tottenham where he scored 122 goals in 306 appearances in all competitions.

The player formed a potent striking partnership with Dimitar Berbatov at Spurs, and the two scored 23 goals each in the 2007-08 season as the London outfit won the 2008 League Cup trophy that year.

Keane was sold to Liverpool for £19m in 2008 after the Anfield outfit was accused of tapping him.

He, however, could not replicate his form at Liverpool and was sold back to Spurs for £12m after six months.

Keane could not regain his old form again and was loaned out to Celtic and West Ham before making a permanent switch to MLS side, LA Galaxy in 2011.

 “I have always wanted to test myself and strive to be the best that I could be, so I embraced new challenges, be it at Coventry City, Inter Milan, Leeds United and then possibly the most successful period of my club football career with Tottenham Hotspur.

”I had the great privilege to represent and captain Tottenham over 238 games. I had many wonderful times there and I will look back on my days at White Hart Lane with great fondness. The club will always hold a special place in my heart.”