Robbie wary of international pal Duff

Robbie Keane is warning his Tottenham team-mates their revenge mission to Blackburn on Sunday could be wrecked by his international pal Damien Duff.

The flame-haired Rovers winger is known as ‘Duffer’ to his friends – but Keane is sure underestimating the player’s footballing brain is a very bad omen indeed.

“He’s a massive, massive talent,” said Keane, who has come through the international ranks with Duff – winning the European Youth Championship with Ireland and graduating together to last summer’s World Cup finals.

Shortly before Keane joined Spurs from Leeds last month, Duff was signing a lucrative new contract at Blackburn and the Tottenham new boy says: “They’ve done really well to keep him.

“A lot of big clubs were looking at him because he’s a tremendous player. It will be nice to see him on Sunday but, hopefully, not too much.”

Duff had a quiet game in last season’s Worthington Cup Final but still finished up with a winners medal as Rovers beat Spurs 2-1 and grabbed a place in Europe.

But he scored in the Premiership win by the same margin over Spurs at Ewood Park last August and is now back in top gear after recovering from injury in Ireland’s opening Euro 2004 qualifier against Russia last month.

He won a penalty and scored a goal to spark Blackburn’s 2-0 win at West Brom on Monday and weighed in with what proved to be the decisive away goal in the tough UEFA Cup return against CSKA in Sofia three days later.

Keane said: "He showed just what Blackburn were missing while he was injured and, if anybody needed reminding, that he’s got that touch of real class.

“It seems odd really, but the pair of us are probably among the most established players in the Ireland team now even though Damien’s still only 23 and I’m only a year younger.

“A lot of the lads in the Irish squad now have only about 10 caps while Damien and I have between 30 and 40.

“Hopefully, I’ll get a lot more and I’m certain Damien will. He’s got that special touch where he can beat a defender with a trick and buzz down the line but he can score goals as well when he gets through the middle.”

Keane is bursting to end his own mini goal-drought at Spurs where he has yet to score in four games since leaving Elland Road.

He squandered a hat-trick of golden chances in the 1-0 Worthington Cup win over Cardiff in midweek and admitted: “I know I should have had a few goals on the night.

“But it hasn’t affected my confidence and little dry spells like this never will. I’m confident enough, very confident, to be honest with you – I know on another day all the chances like the ones I missed against Cardiff will go in.

Spurs boss Glenn Hoddle reckons Keane may be trying too hard and said: “He just needs that breakthrough to calm him down.

“Once the first one goes in he’ll be back to his usual self and many more will follow. I have no doubt at all about that.”

Although Tottenham made their fans sweat through the final minutes of the tight victory over the Second Division leaders, Hoddle was relieved to get a win after the home drubbing by Middlesbrough three days earlier – their third defeat in the last four Barclaycard Premiership matches.

The boss paid tribute to Steffen Freund and Mauricio Taricco, who gambled on coming back too soon from injuries to ease the club’s injury crisis. Hoddle said: “They were marvellous, putting the club first because they knew we were in a hole.”

Freund, who had the second cruciate knee ligament operation of his career in January – the first coming immediately after his efforts for Germany in Euro 96 - was given a standing ovation by the fans and three days off by Hoddle as a reward, but could be eased back in as a substitute against Blackburn.

Taricco who came off with cramp after 63 minutes having set up Teddy Sheringham’s first half winner, believes his groin injury has cleared up completely and he could start at right-back again on Sunday.