Robbie Keane
Keane is a small, but extremely skillful striker who started his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It wasn't long before the Premiership scouts were clambering for his signature but the Molineux club held out for three years before they were forced to bow to Coventry City.
The teenage Keane had scored 24 goals in only 67 League starts. He joined the Sky Blues in August 1999 for £6million.
His career at Coventry got off to a blistering start as he scored twice on his debut to seal a 2-0 win at home to Derby County.
Coming the end of the 1999/2000 season, the bigger clubs were still on the trail of the Republic of Ireland international but it was a shock when Inter Milan came forward to sign the player.
The Italian giants had a £13million bid accepted and it didn't take long for him to opt for a move to Serie A.
But all did not go well. Inter had an appalling start to the season, languishing well off the pace in the League and out of the Champions League in the qualifying stage.
Keane found himself well down the pecking order in Milan and that alerted English clubs. Both West Ham United and Chelsea had bids rejected for the player and Liverpool were showing an interest.
But it was Leeds United who won his signature. He signed on loan for the West Yorkshire club for the rest of the 2000/01 season with a view to a £12million permanent move at the end of the campaign.
The player agreed terms for the permanent switch at the time, and in April 2001 the deal was completed. The fee was £11million with another £1million also being paid for the loan period.
Keane had scored eight goals in 11 Premiership starts for the West Yorkshire club at the time.
However, things did not go as well once he was a fully fledged Leeds player, and the signing of Robbie Fowler pushed him down the pecking order. With Alan Smith and Mark Viduka also in the running for a first team spot, Keane had to settle for a place on the bench for much of the 2001/02 season.
Only netted three goals in 25 Premiership appearances that term, and just nine in total. But he will, however, remember his hat-trick against Leicester City in the Worthington Cup.
Keane went to the 2002 World Cup with the Republic of Ireland with his future shrouded in doubt. He was one of the stars of the tournament as Ireland went out on penalties to Spain the in second round.
Keane scored a dramatic injury time leveller against Germany in the group stage, another goal in the 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia, and also a further last ditch equaliser, this time from the spot, against Spain.
It was thought his value would have rocketed, but within weeks of returning to England, Sunderland had an undisclosed bid, though to be in the region of £8million, accepted for Keane. However, the player turned down a move to the Stadium of Light.
Spurs then joined the chase for Keane and just before the transfer deadline in August 2002 he completed a £7million transfer. Keane had scored 19 goals for Leeds, but started only 38 games.
The player signed a four-year deal at White Hart Lane, with the option of a two-year extension.
Keane made his Tottenham debut in a 3-2 win over West Ham United, but had to wait a while until he score hie first goal for the club against Blackburn Rovers.
Although it did seem to take him a while to get settled in London he did eventually find his former, bagging a hat-trick against Everton and totalling 13 Premiership goals in his first season.
The 2003/04 season saw Keane remain a fans' favourite among the Spurs faithful, holding off the challenge from new signings such as Helder Postiga, Bobby Zamora, Frederic Kanoute and Jermain Defoe to notch 14 Premiership goals and 20 in total for club and country.
Keane is an exiting, pacy, skillful little player who will cause problems for Premiership defences for years to come.
It wasn't long before the Premiership scouts were clambering for his signature but the Molineux club held out for three years before they were forced to bow to Coventry City.
The teenage Keane had scored 24 goals in only 67 League starts. He joined the Sky Blues in August 1999 for £6million.
His career at Coventry got off to a blistering start as he scored twice on his debut to seal a 2-0 win at home to Derby County.
Coming the end of the 1999/2000 season, the bigger clubs were still on the trail of the Republic of Ireland international but it was a shock when Inter Milan came forward to sign the player.
The Italian giants had a £13million bid accepted and it didn't take long for him to opt for a move to Serie A.
But all did not go well. Inter had an appalling start to the season, languishing well off the pace in the League and out of the Champions League in the qualifying stage.
Keane found himself well down the pecking order in Milan and that alerted English clubs. Both West Ham United and Chelsea had bids rejected for the player and Liverpool were showing an interest.
But it was Leeds United who won his signature. He signed on loan for the West Yorkshire club for the rest of the 2000/01 season with a view to a £12million permanent move at the end of the campaign.
The player agreed terms for the permanent switch at the time, and in April 2001 the deal was completed. The fee was £11million with another £1million also being paid for the loan period.
Keane had scored eight goals in 11 Premiership starts for the West Yorkshire club at the time.
However, things did not go as well once he was a fully fledged Leeds player, and the signing of Robbie Fowler pushed him down the pecking order. With Alan Smith and Mark Viduka also in the running for a first team spot, Keane had to settle for a place on the bench for much of the 2001/02 season.
Only netted three goals in 25 Premiership appearances that term, and just nine in total. But he will, however, remember his hat-trick against Leicester City in the Worthington Cup.
Keane went to the 2002 World Cup with the Republic of Ireland with his future shrouded in doubt. He was one of the stars of the tournament as Ireland went out on penalties to Spain the in second round.
Keane scored a dramatic injury time leveller against Germany in the group stage, another goal in the 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia, and also a further last ditch equaliser, this time from the spot, against Spain.
It was thought his value would have rocketed, but within weeks of returning to England, Sunderland had an undisclosed bid, though to be in the region of £8million, accepted for Keane. However, the player turned down a move to the Stadium of Light.
Spurs then joined the chase for Keane and just before the transfer deadline in August 2002 he completed a £7million transfer. Keane had scored 19 goals for Leeds, but started only 38 games.
The player signed a four-year deal at White Hart Lane, with the option of a two-year extension.
Keane made his Tottenham debut in a 3-2 win over West Ham United, but had to wait a while until he score hie first goal for the club against Blackburn Rovers.
Although it did seem to take him a while to get settled in London he did eventually find his former, bagging a hat-trick against Everton and totalling 13 Premiership goals in his first season.
The 2003/04 season saw Keane remain a fans' favourite among the Spurs faithful, holding off the challenge from new signings such as Helder Postiga, Bobby Zamora, Frederic Kanoute and Jermain Defoe to notch 14 Premiership goals and 20 in total for club and country.
Keane is an exiting, pacy, skillful little player who will cause problems for Premiership defences for years to come.
posted by dgarden at 2:27 pm
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