Keane admits faith waned
That’s all changed now, he said yesterday, thanks to the addition of a crop of young players that have restored his optimism.
The LA Galaxy striker, who turns 33 next month, will lead out the Republic of Ireland at 8pm local time tonight (1am Irish time) against Spain at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
Behind him, a central midfield partnership with a combined age of 43 will attempt to work enough ball through for Keane and his strike partner Conor Sammon to try and dent the Spaniards’ confidence ahead of their trip to Brazil.
But it is the likes of James McCarthy and Jeff Hendrick along with Everton’s Seamus Coleman who have Keane suddenly enthused about the medium-term future.
“I do sense it now. I’ll be totally honest with you, a year or two years ago, I didn’t. That’s being totally honest with you.
“But now seeing the players in the last two weeks, the younger lads, the way they have stepped up to plate in training, they have been absolutely magnificent, so it’s certainly looking good now.”
Sammon, in turn, was full of praise for his veteran team-mate.
“It’s been amazing to be playing with and training alongside a player like Robbie with the career he has had, the caps he has won and the goals scored — that is truly phenomenal.
“In the last few games, the goals he has scored shows that he is always in the right place at the right time. He really comes alive in the box and makes it look easy. But when you play football you realise that it is not.
“To get yourself into those positions is not just luck or chance. For me, to get the chance to rub shoulders with a player like that and who has got so much experience is only going to benefit me.”
Sammon isn’t the only player to relish the chance to play against the world and European champions. Unlike Keane and one of tonight’s centre backs Sean St Ledger, none of the other starters felt the brunt of Spain in Gdansk a year ago.
“It was difficult for everyone,” reflected Keane, “because of the manner in which we were beaten by teams, whereas in the past, that has never been the case.
“The way we set our stall out to play against these teams and how we are always a very, very hard team to beat, for whatever reason at the Euros, it just didn’t happen for us.
“In saying that, we were playing against the two finalists, Italy and Spain, at that time, the best teams. It was always going to be difficult for us, but the way we were beaten was disappointing for everybody.”
Meanwhile, a clearly relaxed Keane reiterated his desire to go into coaching once he has finished playing.
“It’s the only thing I know, so when I stop playing football, what else am I going to do? This is all I know. I wake up every morning and look forward to going training. I could never imagine the day that’s going to end, so it’s certainly something I am going to look into. I am doing my coaching badges in December — but I am going to try to play as long as I can first.”
One of the most memorable moments from yesterday’s press conference arrived when a US journalist asked about the tighter makeshift pitch the two teams will be playing on this evening.
“You could play Spain in a phone box and they would still keep the ball from you,” said the striker with a smile. “I don’t think it really matters to them, to be totally honest with you. Big pitch, small pitch, it doesn’t really matter, they are going to keep the ball.”
Sammon was a little more determined to make a game of it however.
“We have a chance against Spain to go out and play against a top, top team. We will be the massive underdogs but we go out there with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
“People expect us to go out there and be beaten easily by a class Spanish team. But as a group and me personally, I never go into games like that.
“I’m keen to go out there and really make it difficult for them and play to our strengths.”
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