Robbie Keane: L.A. Galaxy, Ireland Star Continues to Turn Cartwheels

By Trevor Murray on October 11, 2014

Type “Keane” into any search engine over the past few days and it’s likely you were hit with a barrage of news stories about snippets from former Manchester United skipper Roy Keane‘s new book, “The Second Half.” But it’s his namesake and current Republic of Ireland star Robbie Keane who’s planning on making some big news all his own when the Boys In Green roll into Gelsenkirchen to take on World Champions Germany in a crucial Euro 2016 qualifier on Oct. 14.

His name may not grace the big Premier League match-days anymore, but hotshot L.A. Galaxy star Keane is continuing to be a trend-setter in the States, proving himself a big hit with his fans as he leads them into the offseason with a huge chance of winning the 2014 MLS Cup, thanks to his 19 goals and 14 assists. Slicing up defenses with ease and proclivity, his tendency to net dramatic, Vine-friendly goals is now something of an everyday norm. While it’s always been difficult to dislike Robbie Keane, it’s safe to say his popularity is continuing to increase at a ridiculous rate.

True, MLS remains a league in the nascent stages, but it takes bravery, skill and determination to start afresh in any league, something he’s never been afraid to do.

Keane’s recent 20-minute hat-trick from Saturday against international cannon-fodder Gibraltar may not be the greatest indicator of his talents – he’s been known to fry bigger fish – but one thing it does underline is his commitment to the cause. A lesser player might have feigned injury to avoid travelling such a long distance all the way from Los Angeles for a fixture, and with all due respect to the Ireland legend, they would have won without him anyway. But not Keane. He persisted and it paid off for him. He’s now a mere three goals away from equaling the 68-goal record set by West Germany hero Gerd Muller – what an achievement that would be. And yet, he doesn’t seem the least bit interested in that — which brings us to his next best attribute: his constant push to test himself.

Whether it’s been on loan or otherwise, he’s represented 10 different clubs, looking for a sterner test each time. Perhaps his most questionable self-assessment, however, came in the aftermath of Euro 2012. Following their catastrophic display, many Irish internationals felt it was a good time to hang up the boots, with Shay Given and Damien Duff two of the biggest names to leave.

But Keane stayed on, gripping the captaincy as he did so. At the time, some viewed it as, perhaps, just a vain attempt to reclaim some of the prestige that had slipped through his fingers in Poland and Ukraine — but since then, Keane has been busy inverting people’s perceptions of what it is he’s capable of, and he’s convinced most of them. Constantly reinventing himself, the quintessential journeyman has continued to prove the second-guessers wrong, time and again.

Because while his continued presence as a pillar of the current squad is a product of the FAI’s lack of invention and investment in youth, it’s also a testament to his personal character. His move to MLS hasn’t turned him into a fame-seeking, money-hungry star; he’s still the same down-to-earth guy who loves football for football’s sake, and it’s those roots that continue to keep him focused on helping Ireland achieve its goals. Sure, ideally fans of the Republic of Ireland would prefer to see more and more successors making their way through the system to replace him, but the sad fact is, a lot needs to change before we see another Keane coming through any time soon.

That is precisely why Martin O’ Neill needs to make the most of his talents while he’s still on board.

Wading against the tidal perception of a footballer’s “peak” age, the 34-year-old is proving that he can still have a big impact on Ireland’s destiny, and he’s willing to go above and beyond to do so. And with their Euro 2016 qualification already turning into an intense battle, the Green Army are going to need every ounce of Keane they can get.

Trevor Murray is a soccer writer at www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on twitter @TrevorM90, ‘”like” him on Facebook or add him to your circles in Google+.