Quinn rules out Keane deal

IT would be a transfer to appeal to the romantic in every Irish football fan but Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has ruled out the possibility of a reunion with his old strike partner Robbie Keane at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats had been mentioned as a possible destination for the out-of-favour Tottenham Hotspur player long before Darren Bent’s shock move to Aston Villa this week, but the Sunderland chairman has moved quickly to prevent any such speculation from rising further.

“The problem there is what we are looking for is to help (Asamoah) Gyan and Danny Welbeck along and that means a physical presence,” Quinn told Kildare.tv yesterday. “We just might need to toughen up and find a more physical player.