Robbie Keane Bio Send To Friend  

Robbie Keane's disappointing stint at Liverpool came to an end after just six months when he returned to Tottenham Hotspur on deadline day in February 2009.

The Irish striker had failed to impress manager Rafael Benitez and after he failed to even make the bench for some important games, including the crucial showdown with Chelsea, an exit seemed increasingly likely. Keane had joined Liverpool for £20.3m and it's thought Spurs paid no more than £15m to bring him back.

Keane started his career as teenage prodigy 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 and joined the Sky Blues in August 1999 for £6m. 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 signed him for £13m. But all did not go well in Serie A as Keane slipped down the pecking order.

Leeds United offered him an escape route and he signed on loan for the West Yorkshire club for the 2000-01 season and made a permanent £12m move at the end of the campaign.

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.

He went to the 2002 World Cup with the Republic of Ireland with his future shrouded in doubt, but was one of the stars of the tournament as Ireland went out on penalties to Spain in the second round.

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 £8m, accepted for Keane. However, the player turned down a move to the Stadium of Light.

Spurs then joined the chase for the striker and, just before the transfer deadline in August 2002, he completed a £7m 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 and Keane made his Tottenham debut in a 3-2 win over West Ham United. At Tottenham he fought off a few challengers in his time at the club to be a first-choice striker and his creative skill helped him to become a crowd favourite - breaking the magical 20 goal season barrier in his last two seasons at the club.

He rose to captain the club and made over 250 appearances for the club before leaving to join Liverpool in July 2008, in a move he claimed was his ''dream.''

Keane took an age to break his scoring duck for Liverpool, against PSV Eindhoven an October Champions League tie, and had to wait until November for his first Premier League goals. He scored just seven goals in 29 games for Liverpool before his dramatic return to White Hart Lane.

Keane rejoined Tottenham on in February 2009, with his tail between his legs, signing for a basic fee of £12m, potentially rising to £19m with add-ons. He was made Tottenham vice-captain, under injury prone Ledley King, but has a long way to go to win back the fans' faith.