Quinn: Thank you, Robbie

Niall Quinn pays tribute to the Republic of Ireland’s record goalscorer Robbie Keane ahead of his final international appearance on Wednesday.

When I was a kid, the arrival of colour TV in Crumlin was like the arrival of electricity in rural parts of Ireland in the 1950s. More excitement than we could handle!

My great technicolor hero was Gerd Muller, the iconic German striker (who played in the black and white of Germany, now that I think of it). I watched the World Cup in 1974 and saw this guy scoring goals against the vivid jerseys of  Australia, Yugoslavia, Poland and then Holland. 

People were heartbroken for the Dutch, but this Gerd Muller was like something I’d never seen before. He terrorised defences. He had thighs that could kick start a jumbo.

And now, all these years later, I look at the all-time international scoring lists and Gerd Muller is 14th – and some fella called Robbie Keane is 15th.

How did that happen? I remember Robbie Keane. He used to do a somersault when he scored. It was rubbish – halfway between a footballer trying to celebrate (when he knew the headed assist to him was the moment of real genius) and an old man falling over.

I remember Kenwyne Jones when he was at Sunderland. Now he would do a double back flip, two and a half rotations. That was a celebration. Later, Robbie Keane went to an imaginary bow and arrow routine. Arthritic it was.

Where do you start with Robbie Keane? What can I say about him that hasn’t been said?

A confession first. People often ask me about Robbie. Selfishly, the first thing I think of is what I got out of his career.

He was still in nappies when he made his debut for Ireland – or I was on a walking frame. I don’t remember which, but I know I took one look at him and realised that the battle which a few of us had been having for the Irish goalscoring record was something that we’d have to agree never …

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