1. Robbie Keane served as captain of the Republic of Ireland from March 2006 until his international retirement in August 2016.
94 Facts About Robbie Keane
1. 2.
Robbie Keane is the most capped player and all-time top goalscorer for his nation.
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Robbie Keane began his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring twice on his first-team debut aged 17.
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Robbie Keane changed club frequently between 1999 and 2002, breaking transfer fee records, but his brief spells at Inter Milan and Leeds United were unexceptional.
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Robbie Keane joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2002 and played there for seven and a half years over two spells, amassing 306 appearances and 122 goals across all competitions.
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Robbie Keane moved to Liverpool in July 2008 but he spent only six months at the club before returning to Tottenham, where he was made first team captain.
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Robbie Keane left Tottenham for LA Galaxy in 2011, and in January 2012 went to Aston Villa on a two-month loan during the Major League Soccer off-season.
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Robbie Keane departed LA Galaxy in 2016 having scored 104 goals across six seasons, before a short stint with Indian club ATK.
9.
Robbie Keane announced his retirement from professional football in November 2018.
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Widely regarded as one of the best Irish players of all time, Robbie Keane scored 68 goals for the Republic of Ireland national team over an 18-year international career, making him the all-time record Irish scorer.
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Robbie Keane is the joint fifth-highest European international goalscorer of all time, and the only player in the history of world football to have scored at least one international goal in 19 consecutive years.
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Robbie Keane was the Republic of Ireland's top scorer at the 2002 FIFA World Cup with three goals as they reached the last 16, and played at UEFA Euro 2012 and UEFA Euro 2016.
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Robbie Keane took on the role of assistant manager at Championship club Middlesbrough in 2019, with his former teammate Jonathan Woodgate as manager.
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Robbie Keane became the head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv in June 2023, winning the Israeli Premier League and Toto Cup in his only season.
15.
Robert David Robbie Keane was born and raised in Tallaght, Dublin, the son of Anne and Robert Robbie Keane.
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Robbie Keane started his football career with local club Fettercairn before joining Dublin schoolboy team Crumlin United at the age of 10, where his talent was seen and recognised at an early age.
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Robbie Keane played Gaelic football until he was 15, before giving it up to pursue a football career.
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Robbie Keane received offers from both Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers, but decided to go to the First Division side, judging that it would be harder to break into the first team at Liverpool.
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Robbie Keane moved to Wolverhampton four days before his 16th birthday in July 1996, joining their youth team.
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Robbie Keane progressed through Wolves' youth ranks and made his professional debut aged 17 on 9 August 1997, scoring twice against Norwich City.
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Robbie Keane got off to a great start, scoring two goals on his debut against Derby County.
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Robbie Keane played in a total of 34 games, scoring 12 goals, all of which came in the Premier League.
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However, Robbie Keane's dream move to Italy soon soured when manager Marcello Lippi was sacked.
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Lippi's successor, Marco Tardelli, deemed Robbie Keane to be surplus to requirements and in December 2000, he was loaned out to Leeds United.
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Robbie Keane made 14 appearances for Inter in all competitions scoring three goals, his most memorable coming two minutes into the Supercoppa Italiana match against Lazio.
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Robbie Keane scored against Ruch Chorzow in the UEFA Cup and Lecce in the Coppa Italia.
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On signing him for Tottenham, manager Glenn Hoddle said that Robbie Keane was ideally suited to Tottenham and could make White Hart Lane his "spiritual home" for years to come.
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The frustration culminated in Robbie Keane storming from the dugout towards the end of a game against Birmingham City in April 2005 after all the substitutes had been used, meaning he would not get a chance to appear.
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Robbie Keane had been made the vice-captain, taking the captaincy on occasions when Ledley King was not available.
30.
Robbie Keane was involved in a training ground fight with teammate Edgar Davids in December 2005, but the pair subsequently made up publicly and were seen encouraging each other on the pitch.
31.
In February 2006, Inter's owner and president, Massimo Moratti, admitted his regret at letting Robbie Keane go after being impressed by his performances at Tottenham.
32.
Robbie Keane extended his commitment to Tottenham, signing a new four-year contract in March 2006.
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Robbie Keane was named as one of ten Spurs squad members to be struck down by norovirus on 6 May 2006.
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Robbie Keane's coming back from injury marked the beginning of a return to form and a dynamic partnership with Dimitar Berbatov.
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Robbie Keane signed a new five-year contract with Tottenham on 28 May 2007.
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Robbie Keane won Player of the Year three times during his Tottenham career ; the first player to do so.
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Robbie Keane agreed terms with Liverpool shortly afterwards, signing a four-year contract with the Merseyside club.
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Robbie Keane was given the squad number 7, and scored his first goal for Liverpool on 1 October 2008 in a Champions League win against PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
39.
Robbie Keane signed a four-year contract with the north London club.
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Robbie Keane was one of three players to make returns to Tottenham during the transfer window, along with Jermain Defoe and Pascal Chimbonda.
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Robbie Keane was made Tottenham vice-captain a week later, after often deputising for Ledley King during his first spell there.
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Robbie Keane was cup-tied for Spurs' appearance in the 2009 Football League Cup Final.
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Robbie Keane received a generally warm reception from the fans despite scoring against them.
44.
On 31 July 2009, Robbie Keane captained Tottenham to winning the Premier League Asia Trophy in a pre-season competition in China.
45.
Robbie Keane stated that he enjoyed his time at Celtic and that it had given him back his 'hunger for football'.
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On 12 April, Robbie Keane was announced as SPL Player of the Month for March 2010.
47.
On 19 April 2010, Robbie Keane was announced as Celtic's Fans' Player of the Year.
48.
On 30 January 2011, Robbie Keane joined West Ham United on loan for the remainder of the season.
49.
However, in May 2011 West Ham were relegated and Robbie Keane returned to Tottenham.
50.
On 8 January 2012, Robbie Keane agreed to move on loan to Aston Villa for two months, until the new MLS season began in March.
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Robbie Keane finished with 16 regular season goals, fourth in the league's top scorers, and was one of three strikers named in the MLS Best XI, alongside Thierry Henry and Chris Wondolowski.
52.
At the start of the 2013 season, in the absence of Donovan, Robbie Keane was promoted to captain by head coach Bruce Arena.
53.
On 6 March 2014, Robbie Keane signed a new multi-year contract extension with LA Galaxy.
54.
On 3 December 2014, Robbie Keane was awarded the MLS Most Valuable Player Award after a season in which he recorded a career high 19 goals and 14 assists in 29 appearances.
55.
Robbie Keane was given the MLS Cup MVP award, similar to the Man Of The Match award.
56.
On 4 August 2017, Robbie Keane signed for Indian Super League team ATK joining former teammate Teddy Sheringham, the team's head coach.
57.
Robbie Keane said that the opportunity to play in a new league appealed to him.
58.
Robbie Keane was assigned the number 10 jersey and appointed as the club captain.
59.
Robbie Keane was appointed player-manager of ATK in March 2018 after Sheringham and his replacement Ashley Westwood were sacked with ATK finishing outside the play-offs.
60.
Robbie Keane officially announced his retirement on 28 November 2018.
61.
Robbie Keane was part of the so-called "golden generation" of Irish youth football of the late 1990s.
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Under the guidance of Brian Kerr, the unfancied Republic of Ireland won the UEFA U16 and U18 European championships in 1998, and Robbie Keane was part of the victorious U18 side in Cyprus.
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Robbie Keane was selected by Mick McCarthy as part of the Republic of Ireland squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, scoring three goals in the Republic of Ireland's four games.
64.
Robbie Keane became the Republic of Ireland's leading goalscorer during a match against the Faroe Islands on 13 October 2004 when he scored his 22nd and 23rd goals.
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Robbie Keane scored his 45th international goal against Russia in October 2010.
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Robbie Keane equalled Andy Townsend's record for most appearances as Republic of Ireland captain on 26 March 2011 and scored a goal in the process.
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Robbie Keane took part in the inaugural Nations Cup for the Republic of Ireland, which took place in February and May 2011.
68.
Robbie Keane ended the tournament as top scorer, despite not having played in their first game against Wales.
69.
On 7 June 2013, Robbie Keane played his 126th game for the Republic of Ireland and became the new record appearance holder, breaking Shay Given's previous record of 125 appearances.
70.
Robbie Keane missed his chance to score his 63rd goal against Costa Rica in Philadelphia on 6 June 2014 when he missed a penalty in a friendly game.
71.
Robbie Keane was the highest male international scorer among active players following Miroslav Klose's retirement in 2014.
72.
Robbie Keane was selected in manager Martin O'Neill's 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016 in what would be his final major tournament appearance for the Republic of Ireland.
73.
On 24 August 2016, Robbie Keane announced his retirement from international football.
74.
Robbie Keane's last match for the Republic of Ireland was a friendly against Oman on 31 August 2016 at Aviva Stadium.
75.
Robbie Keane received a rousing ovation from the assembled crowd when he was substituted in the 57th minute.
76.
Robbie Keane was given a guard of honour from his Republic of Ireland teammates after the match had finished and he left the pitch with his two sons to rapturous applause from the home fans.
77.
In March 2018, Robbie Keane was appointed player-manager of ATK after Sheringham and his replacement Ashley Westwood were sacked, with ATK finishing outside the play-offs.
78.
In November 2018, Robbie Keane agreed to act as the assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national team, under the management of newly appointed Mick McCarthy.
79.
On 23 June 2020, Robbie Keane left his role as Middlesbrough assistant manager after his one-year contract came to an end during the COVID-19 pandemic.
80.
Robbie Keane completed UEFA coaching qualifications, receiving the UEFA Pro Licence in 2020.
81.
On 3 May 2023, Robbie Keane joined the coaching staff of Premier League side Leeds, following the appointment of Sam Allardyce as manager.
82.
On 26 June 2023, Robbie Keane was appointed new head coach of Israeli Premier League side Maccabi Tel Aviv, signing a two-year contract with the club and taking over his first managerial role.
83.
Robbie Keane's appointment was criticised by the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which urged him to join "the international athletes who fight for the rights of the Palestinians and oppose cooperating with apartheid", and by Sinn Fein TD Chris Andrews, who expressed disappointment that Robbie Keane had signed up with a "racist and apartheid Israeli club".
84.
Robbie Keane started his spell as manager with four wins and a draw to put Maccabi Tel Aviv on top of the league table.
85.
Robbie Keane led the club to victory in the 2024 Toto Cup on 24 January 2024.
86.
Robbie Keane won the league in his only season, taking an eight-point lead over Maccabi Haifa with two games to go.
87.
In November 2024, Robbie Keane's wife said that the family were still receiving threats from a small number of pro-Palestine activists, which had made her doubt their safety in Ireland.
88.
On 6 January 2025, Robbie Keane was hired as the next head coach of Ferencvaros, replacing Pascal Jansen.
89.
Robbie Keane said in an interview with Nemzeti Sport that he had told to his players "don't stop if they can smell blood".
90.
Robbie Keane married Xpose presenter and former Miss Ireland contestant Claudine Palmer in Ballybrack on 7 June 2008.
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Robbie Keane is a cousin of English singer Morrissey, and has himself been noted for his singing skills.
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Robbie Keane holds a US green card which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.
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Robbie Keane achieved his UEFA "A" Licence in January 2016, via the Football Association of Ireland's Coach Education Programme.
94.
Robbie Keane stated his support for the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Ireland ahead of the referendum in 2015.