Bullish Keane looks to future

The last sighting we had of Robbie Keane on the pitch of the Municipal Stadium in Poznan pretty much summed up Ireland’s Euro 2012 — a proud man vainly chasing a lost cause.

That tournament should have been one of the highlights of the striker’s stellar career; instead it added little to his international reputation — other than confirming his willingness to put in the hardest yards — and absolutely nothing to his record goal haul.

But, a year and half on, he returns to the scene of those crimes in upbeat and optimistic frame of mind, visibly buoyed by the appointments of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane, and having marked his debut under the new management in signature style, by bringing his remarkable goal haul to 62.