Robbie glad to be back on the ball

TERRY VENABLES would have laughed at the irony of it all. Robbie Keane spent yesterday in Dublin juggling a ball and extolling the virtues of the Sony Playstation, a computer company who advise you not to underestimate the power of their product.

Given the events at White Hart Lane 24 hours earlier, El Tel had discovered the punishment for that particular crime.

Keane, the striker he deemed surplus to requirements at Elland Road, came back to haunt him in thrilling goal of the season fashion for Spurs. Needless to say he was a little chuffed.

“Things are going well and I’m really enjoying my football. It was a good win for us on Sunday. We needed that to get ourselves back on track again. The last few games haven’t been going as well as we would have liked so it was a good win for us,” he said.

But the fact that it was against you-know-who must have made it all the more special? He greets the question with the sort of swerve usually reserved for worried centre-backs.

“Ah, I don’t know. It’s always nice to play well in the big games, because that's when it really counts, you know? But yesterday was special, it was nice to play against the lads but I wasn’t going out there to prove anyone wrong. I was going out there to do well for myself and to do well for Spurs.

“It’s always nice to score a goal, and it’s nice to win , and have a bit of craic with the boys afterwards like Kells, Gaz and Stephen McPhail. After the game there was a good bit of banter.”

As is his way, Keane was unassuming when recalling the 20-yard screamer which flew past a startled Paul Robinson, and brought the Peter Risdale’s axe a little closer to Venables head.

“It was just one of those things - they either go in or they hit the corner flag.

So luckily enough for me it went in yesterday. I don’t really think about. It’s always nice to score great goals, but its nice to score little tap-ins as well.”

From an international perspective, Keane admits that he would welcome the return of his more illustrious namesake as soon as possible.

“I am sure Roy will be back for Ireland. I fully expect him to be in the next squad, provided he is fit. I have a lot of respect for Roy because he is a great player. Whatever anyone says , they cannot take that away.”

However, he admits to being upset by the manner of Mick McCarthy’s departure as he felt indebted to his former international boss.

“When I was 17 , Mick gave me the chance to play for Ireland, which was a great honour for me. He was always good to me,” stated Keane. There were times when, although I wasn’t playing for Leeds, Mick still picked me. He had a lot of faith in me and, for that, I will always be grateful.”

Despite such thoughts, he does welcome the fact that Brian Kerr, the man in charge for so much of Keane’s underage success, is being linked with the job.

“I had Brian at underage level. People may question whether he’s good enough to do senior level, but I’m sure he would be. When he was my manager he was a good motivator with good knowledge. He knows the game, so it’d be good, but there’s been loads of names thrown into the hat, so no-one knows who’s going to take over. Hopefully something will get sorted out sooner rather than later.”

Now that his Leeds trauma is over, Keane is confident in his own abilities in front of goal and promises more to come for club and country.

“Now that I’m playing every week, that's when you see me with a smile on my face, and you see the best football that I can produce. I think now given the chance to play week in week out that you can see the best of me. I don't think the Spurs fans have seen the best of Robbie Keane yet. Hopefully there’s a lot more to come.”