Trip to the Bridge holds no fears for confident Keane

JUST mention the name ‘Chelsea’ and Robbie Keane, the elder statesman of Irish football, assumes the look of an overgrown toddler.

His eyes sparkle at the memory of his last meeting with the west Londoners, a 4-4 draw last February when he was still clad in the white of Tottenham Hotspur, and suddenly his inner child is off the leash. “Wow, phenomenal, goals galore,” he gasped. “Attack versus attack, one of the greatest matches in the Premier League. Just like a schoolboy game, really.”

Keane’s enthusiasm is endearing, but if the Dubliner is expecting another bout of playground football when he travels to Stamford Bridge tomorrow, he’ll be sorely disappointed.