Wandering Keane becomes Galaxy's second biggest star

SOCCER:THE REMARKABLE career journey of Republic of Ireland captain Robbie Keane took a significant detour yesterday with the news the Dubliner had left Tottenham to sign a two-year deal with MLS side LA Galaxy.

As recently as last week, prior to the international friendly against Croatia, the 31-year-old said his representatives were in talks with a number of Premier League clubs, insisting England’s top division was where he wanted to be.

Yesterday, however, when quoted in the Galaxy press release confirming the deal, he suggested the prospect of his ninth club being an American one had been in the pipeline at least since David Beckham trained with Spurs in January.

“I am delighted, honoured and very excited to be joining the LA Galaxy,” he said. “I have always wanted to come and play in MLS so it’s the perfect combination for me and a dream come true.”

“My family and I have already been made to feel very welcome in telephone calls from (owner) Tim Leiweke and (Galaxy manager) Bruce Arena. Also when David Beckham came and trained at Spurs recently he couldn’t speak highly enough about the Galaxy, their fans and the league in general, so I can’t wait to get over and get started.”

Neither the fee nor the terms of the contract were released by Galaxy but Spurs are believed to have received around €4 million for Ireland’s record goalscorer, which would bring the total money spent on the Tallaght man during his career to a staggering €91.4 million.

As for the package he has been offered, it is though to be worth €6.4 million to Keane over two years, translating to around €61,000 per week in football parlance. It’s a little less than he was receiving at Spurs but a kinder tax take should compensate for that.

He has, therefore, been named as one of the three “designated players” permitted at any MLS club, leaving him in the company of David Beckham and current Galaxy captain Landon Donovan.

Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel, another high earner who has scored just three since his move from New York Red Bulls in December, is expected to make space by joining LA rivals Chivas USA.

That move will not go through until Keane has received his P-1 visa and is eligible to play. Manager Bruce Arena plans to introduce his new signing to fans at The Home Depot Stadium when the San Jose Earthquakes visit on Saturday.

The former US boss welcomed Keane yesterday as a “great addition to our club”, adding: “I have followed his career and have always respected his ability as a competitor and a goalscorer.

“I believe that he brings qualities in and around the penalty area that we have been lacking. Hopefully, he will be another piece of the puzzle in our quest for the supporters’ Shield and an MLS Cup championship as well as to advance to the next round of the Concacaf Champions League.”

Galaxy’s first Champions League tie is tonight, so will come too soon for Keane, but their primary focus is on reclaiming the MLS Cup that has eluded them since 2005. Keane, who has scored over 250 career goals, believes he can help deliver it.

“I have already discussed football with Bruce Arena and I know exactly what he wants from me. I am fit, fresh and ready to go. I’ve come here to score goals and help this team achieve their goals. This is a massive opportunity for me in my career. I aim to grab it with both hands and hopefully help give the Galaxy fans what they want.”

The move will undoubtedly be greeted with murmurs of disapproval from some but for the club, and more pertinently the player, it ticks all the boxes.

Despite his claims to the contrary, the most vocal suitor Keane had in England was Championship side Leicester City, while the interest from Premier League rivals Bolton Wanderers and a slightly shambolic looking Blackburn Rovers never seemed likely to entice Keane.

Even so the prospect of a loan move back to England during the off-season has already been mooted. It was an option used to great effect by Beckham and could serve a similar purpose for Keane.

The standard debate is the ‘standard’ debate but Keane’s form for Ireland hardly suffered while he wasn’t playing much with Spurs or West Ham, so a confidence boost and regular football can’t be bad. Besides, is the MLS really that much poorer in quality than the SPL where he scored goals for fun and seemed to renew his love for the game after a miserable spell at Liverpool?

Giovanni Trapattoni has called Caleb Folan up to the international squad since he has been at Colorado Rapids, so it is unlikely he’ll change that attitude for his free-scoring captain. In fact, it is inconceivable that this move has come about without the Italian’s blessing.

A Galaxy spokesman, already well-versed with Ireland’s international fixtures, last said the club did not expect complications with regards to Keane being made available for Ireland games, stating the Fifa rulebook was quite clear on the matter. Whether Keane would still want to travel such long distances for friendly games is another question but he has never been one to turn down a cap or the chance to play and score.