Robbie Keane

At 43 years old, Robbie Keane has this physical status:

Robert David Keane (born 8 July 1980) is an Irish former professional footballer who competed as a forward and is the new assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national team and Middlesbrough.

He served as Ireland's captain from March 2006 to his international retirement in August 2016. Keane began his professional career with Wolverham Wanderers, scoring twice on his first-team debut aged 17.

He was the club's top goalscorer and scored his first international goal for the Republic of Ireland during the following season.

He changed clubs from 1999 to 2002, smashing transfer fee records, but Inter Milan and Leeds United's brief stints were unexceptional.

He joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2002 and spent seven-and-a-half years in total, scoring 122 goals.

The 2007–08 season was the most productive of his career, with 23 goals in a season, including a landmark 100th individual goal and winning his first senior award. Keane left Liverpool in July 2008, but he only stayed six months at the club before returning to Tottenham, where he was named first team captain.

He went on loan to Celtic for the remainder of the season and spent the second half of the following season loaned to West Ham United in January 2010.

In 2011, he left Tottenham Hotspur for Los Angeles Galaxy and Aston Villa on a two-month loan during the Major League Soccer offseason in January 2012.

He left LA Galaxy in 2016 after scoring 104 goals in six seasons before joining ATK in a short time.

In November 2018, Keane announced his retirement from professional football.

He scored 126 Premier League goals for six different clubs, putting him as the 15th-most effective goalscorer in the Premier League's history. Over an 18-year international career, Keane scored 68 goals for the Republic of Ireland's national team, making him the all-time Irish scorer.

His 146 caps are also an Irish record.

Keane is the joint fifth-highest European goalscorer of all time, and the only player in world football to have scored at least one international goal in 19 years.

Keane, Ireland's top scorer at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scored three goals and later competed at UEFA Euro 2012 and UEFA Euro 2016.

He was known for his goal celebrations, including a cartwheel and a forward roll throughout his career and international career.

Early life

Robert David Keane was born and raised in Tallaght, Dublin, the son of Anne and Robert Keane. He began his football career with Fettercairn before joining Crumlin United's schoolboy team, where his talent was seen and acknowledged at an early age. He played Gaelic football until he was 15, before giving up on football to pursue a football career. Both Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers offered Keane, but the team decided to progress to the First Division, recognizing that it would be much more difficult to break into the first team at Liverpool. He arrived in Wolverhampton four days before his 16th birthday in July 1996, joining their youth team.

Personal life

Claudine Palmer, a former Miss Ireland contestant, married Keane Palmer in Ballybrack on June 7, 2008. They have two sons named Robert (born 10 May 2009) and Hudson (born 5 October 2015).

Keane is a cousin of English singer Morrissey and has been praised for his singing abilities. Jason Byrne, the second highest goalscorer in League of Ireland history, is his first cousin. Keane is branded as a domestic player on MLS roster purposes. He received his UEFA "A" license in January 2016 via the Football Association of Ireland's Coach Education Program.

Before the 2015 referendum, Keane expressed his support for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Ireland.

Keane is the ambassador for the Children's Medical & Research Foundation in Crumlin, Dublin. On February 18, 2015, Keane, a teammate of LA Galaxy, and Herbalife, personally paid the hospital with a cheque for $50,000 from the LA Galaxy Foundation and Herbalife.

After a family member was diagnosed with COVID-19 and had to be admitted to hospital, Keane and his wife Claudine joined the "Our Hospital Heroes" campaign by raising funds for front line employees in hospitals around Ireland by creating a GoFundme page. As of July 2021, the GoFundme page has raised over €81,000.

Source

Club career

Keane rose through Wolves' youth ranks, making his professional debut aged 17 on September 9, 1997, scoring twice against Norwich City. He excelled at the club in the following season, receiving praise from both the media and Wolves boss Colin Lee. He went on to be the club's top scorer, scoring 16 goals in the 1998-99 season. Keane's performances and goalscoring record with both Wolves and his national team piqued a lot of attention from larger clubs, and a move for the young striker seemed to be imminent given Wolves' budgets. However, with three years remaining on his deal, Wolves' long-serving actor John Richards stated his reluctance to sell Keane until their asking price was met.

He was sold to Coventry City, a Premier League club, just weeks into the 1999–2000 season, marking a British record for a teenager. On his debut against Derby County, Keane got off to a promising start by scoring two goals. He had a key role in a lively attacking team that featured Gary McAllister, Mustapha Hadji, and Youssef Chippo, and formed a fruitful strike team with Cédric Roussel during a fruitful season at Coventry. Keane played in a total of 34 games, scoring 12 goals, all of which were in the Premier League.

Keane was signed by Italian Serie A club Inter Milan in July 2000 for a fee of £13 million, in the first season in the Premier League, after an outstanding first season in the Premier League. However, Keane's ardently step to Italy was shattered when manager Marcello Lippi was fired. Marco Tardelli, Lippi's successor, deemed Keane to be surplus to requirements, and he was loaned out to Leeds United in December 2000. Keane made 14 appearances for Inter in all competitions scoring three goals, his most notable coming two minutes against Lazio. In the Coppa Italia, he scored against Ruch Chorzów in the UEFA Cup and Lecce.

Leeds' Kevin Kelly's tenure got off to a good start, scoring nine goals in 14 starts for the club until Leeds boss David O'Leary made his loan agreement permanent in May 2001 at a cost of £12 million. The following season was not promising, and he discovered himself falling down the pecking order. His form suffered and he only scored nine goals in 33 appearances, three of which were in a 6–0 League Cup victory over Leicester City on October 9, 2001.

Leeds also fell deeper into debt, and the exodus, as well as Keane, was sold to Tottenham Hotspur shortly before the 2002-03 transfer deadline for a £7 million price.

Keane was ideally suited to Tottenham, according to manager Glenn Hoddle, and he may make White Hart Lane his "spiritual home" for years to come. During a 3–2 victory over West Ham United, Keane had an impressive debut at Spurs, winning a penalty. Tottenham Hotspur defeated Blackburn Rovers 2–1 in Ewood Park, Keane's first goal for the club. Despite Spurs' disappointing tenth finish, Keane was their biggest scorer of the season, scoring 13 goals, including a spectacular hat-trick in the victory over Everton at White Hart Lane, despite Spurs' disappointing finish in a humiliating tenth position.

Spurs were fighting with relegation from 2003-2004, but Keane's goals played a major role in Spurs' promotion to Premier League status. Despite Arsenal winning the Premier League at Tottenham Hotspur, Keane's top scorer with 16 goals, 14 in the league, with a hat-trick against Wolves and a last-minute penalty to equalize in the North London derby against Arsenal.

His third season, 2004-05, was more difficult. Despite finishing with his highest number of goals in a season for Spurs, 17, he was second-fiddle to Jermain Defoe, Frédéric Kanouté, and Mido for a large portion of the season. After all the replacements were used in a game against Birmingham City in April 2005, the rage erupted, with Keane bouncing from the dugout until the game's conclusion, meaning he would not be allowed to play. Since the outburst and his future at the club were uncertain, he was fined £10,000 and was forced to train with the reserves.

The 2005–06 season began as the previous one had ended, with Defoe being chosen to work with Mido in Tottenham's strikeforce. However, Defoe's strike rate continued to decline, and Keane's perseverance paid off in November, when manager Martin Jol finally gave Keane a chance to rename Defoe and stake his claim. He had overtaken Mido as the top goal scorer at the club by March. Keane finished the season with 16 league goals, making him the Premier League's joint fourth-highest goalscorer of the season. He had previously been made the vice captain, assassinated Ledley King was not present. In December 2005, Keane was involved in a training ground brawl with teammate Edgar Davids, but the two men resurfaced publicly and were seen cheering each other on the pitch.

Massimo Moratti, Inter's owner and president, expressed regret for losing Keane after being impressed by his Tottenham performances. Keane has stayed loyal to Tottenham after signing a new four-year deal in March 2006. On May 6, 2006, Keane was named as one of ten Spurs squad members to be struck by norovirus. However, he did manage to play in their final game of the season against West Ham United.

Keane had a slow start to the 2006–07 season, which was pushed back by a knee ligament injury sustained by Keane against Middlesbrough on December 5th. His return from injury marked a return to form and a fruitful collaboration with Dimitar Berbatov. In April 2007, Keane and Berbatov were jointly awarded the Premier League Player of the Month Award. Keane finished the season with 22 goals in all competitions, his highest-ever season total — scoring 15 goals in his last 15 appearances of the season.

Keane made his 200th appearance for Tottenham Hotspur in the 2006–07 season's final game against Manchester City, who scored the first goal in a 2–1 win that saw Tottenham secure fifth place in the league.

On May 28, 2007, he agreed to a new five-year deal with Tottenham Hotspur. He became the thirteenth player in the league to reach 100 Premier League goals on December 26, 2007. 2007 was a fruitful year for the striker, with a total of 31 goals and 13 assists from just 40 starts. His 19 league goals in the calendar year was the most high of any player in the Premier League in 2007.

In the 2–0 victory over Sunderland on January 19, 2010, he scored his 100th competitive goal for the club, his 15th player to do so. He earned his first senior honour as a player on February 24, 2008, beating Chelsea 2–1 after extra time. Keane made his 250th appearance for Spurs in the 1–1 draw with Middlesbrough on April 12, 2008. Keane was the top scorer for Spurs for the 2007–08 season, with Berbatov, scoring 23 goals in all competitions. With his 15 Premier League goals, he became the first Spurs player to score double figures in the Premier League in six seasons. Keane has been named Player of the Year three times throughout his Tottenham tenure (2003, 2005–06, and 2007–08), becoming the first player to do so.

Liverpool's Premier League rivals were captivated by his consistency and strike rate. Tottenham Hotspur has agreed to a £20.3 million contract for the player despite initial resistance to the offer and allegations of misconduct.

On July 1, 2008, Liverpool announced their interest in Keane. Tottenham Hotspur also lodged a complaint about the club's conduct amid allegations that Liverpool had unnerved the player. However, Tottenham Hotspur announced the selling of Keane for £19 million (more than £1.3 million in performance-based compensation) on July 28, 2008. Soon after, Keane agreed to terms with Liverpool, completing a four-year deal with the Merseyside club. "I've been a Liverpool fan all my life, going back to when I was a kid growing up in Dublin, and I always had a Liverpool shirt on my back," Keane said on his arrival to Liverpool. Well, to be here as a Liverpool player, and I couldn't be happier." Tottenham Hotspur FC lodged a formal complaint against Liverpool after the club made a donation to the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and apologised for their conduct prior to the transfer. Daniel Levy, the chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, has voiced his dissatisfaction with the player's transfer, claiming that he was forced into it due to Liverpool's interference.

In a Champions League victory over PSV Eindhoven at Anfield on October 1, Keane was given the squad number 7, scoring his first goal for Liverpool. In Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid, a second Champions League goal was followed by Keane's scoring the first goal. He had less forthcoming Premier League goals against West Bromwich Albion on October 8, but he scored twice for Liverpool against West Bromwich Albion.

Keane scored again six weeks ago, but it was a crucial equalizer against Arsenal, giving Liverpool a 1–1 draw against their league rivals. Keane scored two more league goals to seal a 3–0 victory for Liverpool in the following Premier League match against Bolton. Tottenham Hotspur took an approach during the January transfer window, and Liverpool accepted the bid, allowing the Irishman to return to his former club for a fee of £12 million, £7 million less than Liverpool had paid for him.

Keane rejoined Tottenham on February 2, 2009, paying £12 million in the initial fee and potentially increasing to £16 million with add-ons. According to the agreement, Keane's total transfer charges amounted to about £75 million over his career. He has been a member of the north London club for four years. Keane was one of three players to return to Tottenham during the transfer window, as well as Jermain Defoe and Pascal Chimbonda. After often deputizing for Ledley King during his first spell with the club, he was also made vice captain a week later. He was tied for Spurs' appearance in the 2009 Football League Cup Final. In the crucial 4–0 home victory over Middlesbrough, Keane scored his first goal since returning to the club on March 4th, in the first game since returning to the club on March 4th. He finished off his day by scoring another vital goal, this time a last-minute equalizer, against Sunderland in a 1–1 draw on March 7th.

Virgin Trains ran an advertisement shortly after Keane's return to White Hart Lane. He scored in a 3–1 loss on his return to Liverpool on the final day of the season. Despite scoring against them, he received a generally warm reception from the fans.

Keane captained Tottenham Hotspur to triumph the Premier League Asia Trophy in a pre-season tournament in China on July 31. In the 3–0 victory over Hull City inside Beijing Workers Stadium, he scored twice. In a 5–0 victory over Burnley on September 26, 2009, Keane scored four goals. Keane scored one of two goals against Everton on October 27, 2009 at White Hart Lane in Tottenham's League Cup Fourth Round match. He maintained his scoring form against Sunderland in a 2–0 home win on November 7, 2009.

Keane signed for Celtic in a loan agreement until the 2009-10 season, and was given the number 7 shirt, which had previously been worn by Jimmy Johnstone and Henrik Larsson. "The club is huge," Keane said after signing for Celtic. I am a Celtic fan, and I didn't have to worry about asking much about it. I always wanted to play for Celtic, and it's a great sport for both teams."

In a 1–0 loss at Rugby Park against Kilmarnock on February 2, he made his Celtic debut. In a 4–2 victory over Celtic in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup against Dunfermline at East End Park, he scored his first goal for the Celtic team. In a 4–4 draw on February 13, he scored his first goal in the SPL against Aberdeen. On February 20, his first goal at Celtic Park was a winner over Dundee United. Celtic lost 1–0 in Keane's first Old Firm match against Rangers on February 28. Keane scored his first Celtic hat-trick in a 3–0 Scottish Cup victory over Kilmarnock on March 13 and then scored two more in a league match against them two weeks later.

Keane's penultimate match over Rangers was 2–1 on May 4th, his last match for Celtic was a 2–1 victory over Hearts. He enjoyed his stay at Celtic and that it had given him back his 'hunger for football'. Keane was named SPL Player of the Month for March 2010, on April 12th. Keane was named Celtic's Fans' Player of the Year on April 19, 2010.

Keane joined West Ham United on loan for the remainder of the season on January 30. In a 3–1 victory over Blackpool on February 2nd, Keane made his debut for West Ham, scoring his first goal in the process. If West Ham avoided relegation from the Premier League, they could have a two-year contract. However, West Ham were promoted in May 2011 and Keane returned to Tottenham.

Keane joined LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer after appearing in Paul Scholes' testimonial match, becoming one of the club's three permitted designated players, alongside David Beckham and Landon Donovan. Juan Pablo ngel, the Galaxy's previous third Designated Player, was sold to Chivas USA to make room for Keane. In a 2–0 victory at The Home Depot Center on August 20, he made his debut in a California Clásico game against the San Jose Earthquakes and scored his first goal for his new team in the 21st minute. In a 2–1 group stage loss to Monarcas Morelia of Mexico on September 13, he scored his first CONCACAF Champions League goal.

The Galaxy finished the season as Western Conference champions and lifted the Supporters' Shield. Keane defeated Real Salt Lake 3–1 in his first full match on Friday, securing a spot in the 2011 MLS Cup. In the 72nd minute of the final, Donovan assisted him with the winning goal in the 72nd minute.

Keane agreed to move on loan to Aston Villa for two months until the new MLS season begins in March. He joined the Villa squad on 9 and 10 January and closed the transfer on January 12th.

On January 14th, he made his Villa Park debut in a 1–1 draw with Everton, making him a 81st-minute substitute for Stephen Warnock. Keane made his full debut in Villa's upcoming match against Wolverhampton Wanderers, in which he scored his first two goals for the club, as well as the champion in a 3–2 triumph. He scored the equalizer against Newcastle United on February 5th, his third goal for Villa in four league games.

Keane scored twice in a 3–1 home victory over D.C. United for the Galaxy's first victory of the season on March 18, 2012. He was named MLS Player of the Month in July with five goals, including consecutive braces. He scored 16 goals in the regular season, fourth in the league's top scorers, and was one of three strikers named in the MLS Best XI, alongside Thierry Henry and Chris Wondolowski. He and his two goals in a 4–2 win over Toronto FC on September 22nd sealed a spot in the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs. Keane scored twice in a 3–1 second leg victory over San Jose in the Conference semifinals, as the Galaxy recovered from a 1–0 home loss in the first round. He scored two goals against Seattle Sounders FC in the Conference final, as well as a late penalty in a 2–1 loss at CenturyLink Field in the second leg. Keane won by 3–1 in the 2012 MLS Cup after losing in the third round against Houston Dynamo on last minute.

Keane was promoted to captain by head coach Bruce Arena at the start of the 2013 season, in the absence of Donovan. On the first day, he was involved in every goal as Galaxy defeated Chicago Fire 4–0 at home, contributing to a hat-trick for Mike Magee before finding the net in added time. In a 4–0 victory over Seattle on May 26, he scored his first MLS hat-trick, and he added another on August in a 4–2 victory over Salt Lake, putting him on ten goals for the season. In a 5–0 win over Chivas on October 6, Keane scored twice, the first and final goals of the victory. He made the MLS Best XI for the second straight season as a result of his 16 goals and 11 assists, which ranked him fourth and third on the respective top scorer lists.

Keane signed a new multi-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Galaxy on March 6, 2014. He scored his tenth in goals in his third season in a row, scoring his tenth against Sporting KC in a 2–1 loss on July 20th. On September 28th, Keane scored his 50th MLS regular-season goal while playing for the New York Red Bulls' goalkeeper Luis Robles, a 4–0 win.

After a season in which Keane earned a career high 19 goals and 14 assists in 29 appearances, he was named the Most Valuable Player Award on December 3, 2014, he earned it on December 3rd. He won the 2014 MLS Cup for his 111th minute, four days later, beating the New England Revolution 2–1 for his fourth title. Keane was given the MLS Cup MVP award, which is similar to the Man Of The Match award.

Keane revealed that he would not hand over the captaincy after learning that he former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard would join the Galaxy in July 2015. On March 7, he scored his second goal of the 2–0 home victory over Chicago in the season's first game of the season. In the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Keane scored a hat-trick, as the Galaxy beat fifth-tier amateurs PSA Elite 6–1. In a 4–0 victory over Toronto on 5 July, Keane scored a hat-trick. In Gerrard's first match, he scored three goals for his second straight game, with two penalties in the second round, with Gerrard also scoring in a 5–2 victory over San Jose.

In the first 2016 league fixture against D.C. United, Keane scored from the penalty spot on March 6th; a 4–1 home win. In the 3–1 home win over San Jose, he followed up with another successful penalty on 19 March. Keane returned to face New England Revolution on 8 May after missing five games due to a knee injury. In a 2–1 away victory over Portland Timbers on July 23, Keane scored his 80th MLS regular-season goal with a simple tap-in from close range. Galaxy's fourth goal was scored on September 11, his fourth goal in the Galaxy's 4–2 home victory over Orlando City. In a 4-2 home loss to the Seattle Sounders on September 25th for his ninth and tenth goals of the season, he scored twice. Keane said in November that after his deal came to an end at the end of the season, he would not be retiring, but that he would not be retiring. He played 104 goals in 165 appearances over his six seasons with the club, with his last game being the MLS Cup Playoff penalty shootout loss to Colorado Rapids on November 6, 2016.

Keane joined ATK in India on August 4th, replacing former teammate Teddy Sheringham as the team's head coach. He said that being able to play in a new league attracted him. He was given the number 10 jersey and was drafted as the club captain and was named as the team captain. However, he sustained an achilles injury during a pre-season training camp in Dubai and was forced to return home for medical care, effectively ending him from playing until December. In his absence, Spanish defender Jordi was named as the captain. In a 3–2 loss to Chennaiyin, he made his first-team debut on December 7th, arriving as a 61st-minute replacement. In a 1–0 win over Delhi Dynamos on December 23, he scored his first goal.

After Sheringham and his replacement Ashley Westwood were fired with ATK finishing outside the play-offs, Keane was named player-manager of ATK in March 2018. On his first managerial debut, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over NorthEast United, reversing them from last place. Keane, who was playing the final three games as player-manager, has decided to leave the team at the end of the season and said he would take time out to consider his options.

On November 28, 2018, Keane officially announced his resignation.

International career

Keane was part of the Irish youth football of the late 1990s, who were dubbed the "golden generation" of Irish youth football.

The unfancied Republic of Ireland won the UEFA U16 and U18 European championships in 1998, under Brian Kerr's guidance, and Keane was part of Cyprus' triumphant U18 team. He appeared at the World Youth Cup in Nigeria in 1999, where the Republic of Ireland advanced to the last 16 before losing on penalties to the hosts. In March 1998, he made his first Republic of Ireland cap against the Czech Republic in Olomouc. In October of that year, he scored his first senior international goals against Malta.

Keane was chosen by Mick McCarthy as part of the Republic of Ireland's 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, scoring three goals in the Republic of Ireland's four games. In the group stage match against Germany, Keane scored a injury-time equalizer as the Irish stunned many by limiting the former champions to a 1-1 draw. This was the first of only three goals conceded by Germany in the tournament (the other two were scored by Brazil's Ronaldo). He scored a last-minute penalty to bring the game to extra time and a penalty shootout after the Irish had gone a goal down early in the first half but then lost 3–2 on penalties.

Keane was the Republic of Ireland's top goalcorer during a match against the Faroe Islands on October 13, 2004, scoring his 22nd and 23rd goals in the Republic of Ireland. Niall Quinn's record of 21 goals was shattered by the first of these goals.

Despite Ireland's inability to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Keane scored four goals in the Republic of Ireland's eight qualifying matches. Keane was appointed captain following Steve Staunton's appointment as the Republic of Ireland's chief. Keane scored his second goal in the 3–0 victory over Sweden at Lansdowne Road, and celebrated his final match at the Lansdowne Road stadium on November 15, 2006, beating San Marino 5–0. Giovanni Trattoni, the team's captain who took over Staunton, kept Keane as his team captain in his first game in charge against Serbia on May 24, 2008, which resulted in a 1–1 draw.

Keane, the team's captain, led the team to a second-place finish in the 2010 World Cup qualifying season. In the 83rd minute, he scored his 40th international goal against Cyprus, a header, which resulted in the Republic of Ireland's 2–1 victory. He and Dimitar Berbatov led the scoring charts in the qualifier category with 5 goals in ten games. In the tumultuous 2010 World Cup play-off with France on November 18, 2009, he scored his 41st international goal. This was his 26th goal in international (non-friendly) football.

In a 1–0 friendly loss on August 11, Keane won his 100th cap against Argentina. This match was also the first international football match at Aviva Stadium. In October 2010, he scored his 45th international goal against Russia. It was the first time the Republic of Ireland had lost a game in which Keane had scored. Previously, the Republic of Ireland had won 26 games and lost 10 of the 36 games in which Keane had scored. On March 26, 2011, he tied Andy Townsend's record for most appearances as Republic of Ireland captain (40), while simultaneously scoring a goal.

Keane competed in the inaugural Nations Cup for the Republic of Ireland, which took place in February and May 2011. Despite not having played in their first game against Wales, he finished the tournament as the top scorer. In a 5–0 win over Northern Ireland, Keane scored three goals in total, two against Northern Ireland, and what was the tournament's winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Scotland. The Republic of Ireland emerged from the competition victorious, winning all three of their games without losing a single point.

Keane scored twice in a 2–0 away win over Macedonia in June 2011 to become the first Irish or British player to score more than 50 international goals. Following the game against Macedonia, he had a total of 51 goals. In Tallinn's 4–0 play-off win over Estonia, which effectively secured qualification for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine, taking his total number to 53 goals.

Keane scored his first international goal against Kazakhstan in the Republic of Ireland's first World Cup 2014 qualification match, despite a tumultuous tournament in Poland. Kevin Doyle's goal a minute later put the game up to a winning start to the season. Keane scored his third and fourth goals of the game against Georgia in a 4–0 victory on June 2nd.

Keane played his 126th game for the Republic of Ireland on June 7, 2013, breaking Shay Given's previous record of 125 appearances. In a 3–0 win for the Republic of Ireland, he scored his second hat-trick of his international career in the same game against the Faroe Islands, scoring his 57th, 58th, and 59th goals. In a 2–1 loss, Keane scored his 60th international goal against Sweden on September 6, 2013. In a 3–1 win and a 3–0 victory over Latvia on October 15, he scored his 61st and 62nd goals for the Republic of Ireland against Kazakhstan on October 15th and 62nd goals, both games being played in Dublin.

On June 6, 2014, Keane missed his chance to score his 63rd goal against Costa Rica in Philadelphia when he missed a penalty in a friendly match. Following Miroslav Klose's retirement in 2014, he was the highest male international scorer among active players. In a 7-0 European qualifying victory over Gibraltar at Aviva Stadium on October 11, 2014, he scored his third international hat-trick, his 63rd, 64th, and 65th goals. In the 18th minute, the treble scored a point. In European Championship qualifiers, he scored a record 21 goals, beating Turkey's Hakan kür. He'd later boost his tally to 23 goals, but Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo stopped the record on September 10, 2019.

In what would be Keane's last major tournament appearance for the Republic of Ireland, he was selected in manager Martin O'Neill's 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016 in what would be his last major tournament appearance for the Republic of Ireland. However, he was limited to a bench role and only played a total of 23 minutes against Sweden and Belgium respectively, but not against Sweden and Belgium.

Keane resigned from international football on August 24, 2016. On August 31, 2016, at Aviva Stadium, his last match for the Republic of Ireland was a friendly against Oman. Ireland's Republic of Ireland defeated Ireland 4–0, while Keane set out a target to bring him up to German great Gerd Müller on 68 international goals. As he was called to the assembled audience in the 57th minute, he received a rousing applause from the assembled crowd. After the match concluded and Keane's teammates' republic of Ireland teammates were given a guard of honour, he and his two sons left the field to rapturous applause from the home crowds.

Coaching career

Keane was named player-manager of ATK after Sheringham and his replacement Ashley Westwood were fired after ATK finished outside the play-offs. On his debut as a manager, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over NorthEast United, enough to keep them from last place. Keane, a player-manager, decided to leave the club at the end of the season after watching the final three matches.

Keane agreed to act as the assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland's national team in November 2018, under newly appointed Mick McCarthy's leadership.

He took over Middlesbrough's assistant manager and national team in June 2019. Jonathan Woodgate, his coworker who had been named as the head of the Teesside-based club, offered him the opportunity as part of a newly formed coaching staff. Keane resigned as assistant manager after his one-year employment came to an end due to the COVID pandemic.

Keane was left on his FAI service after being named as Republic of Ireland Assistant Manager after Kenny's resignation as Minister of Ireland in April 2020 and with two years remaining on his FAI service. Since Kenny's appointment, Keane has been on the FAI payroll, earning €250,000 per annum but without a role, though discussions about his future have raged.

Keane has completed his UEFA coaching certificates and received the UEFA PRO licence.

Career statistics

As of 31 May 2018

Source