When it rains on Robbie, it pours
At some point in the spring of 2008, Robbie Keane must have walked under a ladder, placed his new Nike boots on a table and spilt salt in the Spurs canteen all on the same day. That can be the only reason why the Republic of Ireland striker has endured the remarkable fall from grace that he has done in the past eighteen months and why he now sees himself staring at a career saving loan move to his other boyhood club, Celtic. Despite the fanfare north of the border, there is no disguising that Keane’s move to the SPL could well go down in the same ilk as Chris Sutton, John Hartson and Dion Dublin and signal the beginning of the end of the 29 year old.
For those who with memories like the traitorous Harry Redknapp, Robbie was not too long ago a genuine Premier League marksmen. In 2007/2008, Keane scored 23 goals as he and Dimitar Berbatov struck up a sumptuous partnership. Come the end of the campaign, such was the impressive performances of both strikers, that they were moved on to larger and greener pastures, Keane to Merseyside and his beloved Liverpool. Torres supposedly had the strike partner he deserved and Anfield finally had a strikeforce capable of winning the title.
The latter almost came true but alas Liverpool only thrived without Keane. After a sorry six months, the former Coventry and Leeds man made his way back to We Heart Harry Lane with his tale between his legs after failing to do anything of note. Since the return of the prodigal son, Keane’s form for Spurs has been less than inspiring and he finished the calender year with just 11 Premier League goals, four of which were scored in one particularly fruitful game against Burnley in September. He has since fallen behind the Pompey Pair of Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch to the point that even Redknapp, a man who collects players like Pokemon cards, suggested that he move on to find regular football. That’s got to hurt.
To run salt in the wounds, Keane will forever be known as the man who almost got Ireland into a World Cup finals. It was his goal in the one all draw against France at the Stade de France that put Giovanni Trapatonni’s side on the verge of qualifying for South Africa 2010, only for Thierry Henry to spike the ball into the path of William Gallas to send the Republic crashing out in extra time. So, despite scoring five goals in qualifcation and enjoying his football for the first time in months, Keane was forced to accept that his last chance of playing at a World Cup was no longer. 
Pretty tough on poor Robbie then. You have to hope for his sake that, as the clock strikes twelve tonight and the Scottish transfer window finally closes, the bell that sounds won’t be the ominous knoll that spells the end of Robbie Keane’s Premier League career. He deserves better than that after the torrid time he has had.
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