Keane may shun English return

Ireland captain Robbie Keane is prepared to use five-a-sides with his friends, rather than a loan move to the English Premier League next month, to prolong his decorated career.

Back in Dublin — after scoring the title-clinching goal for LA Galaxy — to announce a friendly between the MLS champions and Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium on February 21, Keane revealed he has options to ponder.

A loan move to England, similar to that he accepted from Aston Villa two years ago following his first season in America, is on the table until the new MLS campaign starts in March.

Yet, now that he’s 34 and has designs on being still around for another few years, pragmatism has outweighed the lure of returning to the stage he graced for Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United.

“I’ve been asked to go on loan by clubs, mostly in the Premier League,” explained Keane.

“After a few weeks off, I start to get the itch and I’ve got the itch now 100%. I was playing five-a-side with my mates 10 days after the MLS Cup final. I feel the best I’ve felt for years.

“Our break [in the MLS] is that little bit longer, so I feel the temptation is there only because I love playing the game.

“Medically, I’ve been advised to take a break. Two days after I came home from America last year, I had the operation on both of my Achilles and was back doing intensive training two days later. That’s 22 months without a break, so I need one now.”

Unless LA Galaxy activate a one-year contract extension, Keane could be a free agent this time next year when his current deal expires.

Though his transatlantic success to date means there’s only a remote prospect of that endgame materialising, pressure on his international place is just one factor in Keane planning ahead.

He said: “I see myself playing for three or four more years, 100%, so I need to be honest with everyone that my future is beyond this year. And for me to concentrate on playing for Ireland, and focus on playing in the Euros, I have to look beyond that. I never said I was going to leave the Galaxy but I need to see what’s best for myself in the long term.

“That’s the reason I was being honest, too much perhaps, but I don’t want to see myself going into a year with the Euros coming up [in 2016] wondering what’s going to happen.”

Keane was benched for Ireland’s 1-0 defeat to Scotland in November — the first time in a competitive international match since 2001. Keane didn’t hide his displeasure and yesterday affirmed he “expected” to regain his starting berth when the campaign resumes on March 29, with Group D leaders Poland visiting for the first of four home qualifiers in five matches for the Irish.

Only back-to-back victories over the Poles and Scotland, who arrive in June, will help seal an automatic spot at the Euros, in Keane’s view.

“I think we have a great chance of qualifying and we all have to believe that as well,” he said.

“I would fancy us at home against anybody, so I certainly believe we can take both of those teams [Poland and Scotland]. Take Germany out of the equation — on their day they can beat anybody — and there’s not much between the other three teams. You wouldn’t say anyone is a lot better than anyone else. Playing in front of a home crowd, we can be as good as anyone.”