Eamon Dunphy has joined the chorus of tributes to Robbie Keane after the Republic of Ireland legend revealed that his storied international career will come to an end after the friendly fixture against Oman at Aviva Stadium next Wednesday.
Dunphy, cited not only Keane’s predatory instincts in the box, but also his attitude as factors that enabled him to become Ireland’s leading goalscorer and most capped player.
“I think Robbie has had a fabulous career for Ireland,” the RTÉ pundit said.
“He’s been a little bit unlucky in club football because he spent a long time at Tottenham but they never quite had the team around him.
“But he’s a great goalscorer, great in the box, he’s brilliant.
“And his attitude to the game is great, too.
“If you remember in 2009, that match where Thierry Henry cheated us out of World Cup qualification, Robbie scored out first goal that night and it was a brilliant goal just when we needed it.”
He scored three goals in the 2002 World Cup - a last minute equaliser against Germany, he scored a very important goal against Spain.
“He’s scored big goals when we needed them.
“I think he was a great character around the training ground, in the dressing room, a leader and he’s had a wonderful career.”
Despite the records, Keane has experienced a somewhat fraught relationship with the Irish media, but Dunphy believes the Tallaght man ultimately silenced his doubters.
“He comes across as a cocky kind of lad, full of confidence,” Dunphy opined.
“He is a very confident lad and he’s great fun. He’s a great singer, he’s a great man in a sing-song. He loves life.
“There was a time when the local media weren’t in love with him, for whatever reason.
“But I think the crowd and his colleagues always loved him, and I think the media have come around now.
“He’s just been a goalscoring machine, but he’s also been very loyal to Ireland and to all the coaches and managers that he’s played for with Ireland. I think, as long as the game is played in Ireland, he will be remembered as one of its great exponents.”
Keane’s late father was a musician and he can count Morrissey among his cousins. Dunphy went on to reveal that he witnessed at first hand the 36-year-old’s abilities on both the mic and the guitar on a night out in one Dublin hostelry, admitting that his own not-so-dulcet tones would be no match for the LA Galaxy striker.
“I think he would beat me in a sing-off,” Dunphy conceded.
“He plays the guitar.
“I think he’d beat me hands down
“He’s a brilliant sing-song man and he’s a terrific lad all round.”
