Hammers make move for Keane
Since Keane left Old Trafford a fortnight ago a number of clubs have expressed an interest in signing the 34-year-old - but none have gone as far as the Hammers in laying their cards on the table.
Teddy Sheringham has already urged his former United team-mate to join him in east London and manager Alan Pardew has secured the support of the board.
The Hammers are now waiting with fingers crossed that Keane decides against joining his boyhood idols Celtic or moving overseas, and instead heads for the bright lights of London.
“We have made the contact that we are interested. We would be delighted if someone like Roy Keane was available and interested in coming to West Ham United,” said assistant boss Peter Grant.
“We definitely hope it could happen. We would love the opportunity to speak to him and if he gave us the nod he was interested we would be in there for sure.
“The decision comes down to Roy and where he wants to play his football. Does he want to move to London? Does he want to move abroad? Does he want to move to Scotland?
“If he says he wants to go to Glasgow then it is a waste of time pursuing it because there is only one team he is going to play for.
“But if Roy decides he wants to come to London - then bang, we’re in for him. There is no doubt about that.”
West Ham have decided against actively pursuing Keane and are happy to express their interest, prove Upton Park is the player’s best option and then wait for the phone to ring.
Grant believes Keane would be a major asset as West Ham look to cement themselves as a top-half side.
“The one thing Roy has got is a winning mentality - and that is what we are striving for here,” said Grant.
“Alan spoke last week how highly we rate him and it would be fantastic to have him at this club. Someone like that would give the club a huge lift.
“People say things about his team spirit - but that comes down the fact he wants to win games of football. I don’t find that a fault in anybody.
“Roy has never accepted second best and we are trying to instil that in our players.
“We are looking to bring in quality players that are going to control a game when it is going away from you, like it did in the defeat to Manchester United on Sunday. We didn’t have that somebody to put their foot on the ball and dictate the pace of the game.
“All we are trying to do between now and Christmas is to make sure we are as high up the table as we can possibly be so we can attract that type of player.”
Pardew is taking advantage of West Ham’s Monday night kick-off against Birmingham to go on a midweek scouting mission in Europe.
“Alan had in his mind he wanted to bring quality in rather than quantity and that is what we have tried to do since we got promoted,” said Grant.
“He is going to a couple of European games over the next two days. This is an ideal opportunity to see players in the flesh.”
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