Sorry, Robbie, and thanks

We’ve always been unfair to Robbie Keane, who last week called it a day on his playing career. We seemed unable to forgive him for scoring 68 goals for Ireland, 47 more than our second highest scorer.

In the closing years of his international career, we mocked him for failing to notch up even more, in Irish teams that set out to revolutionise the game by scoring goals while enjoying 0pc possession of the ball.

We shook our heads at the brazen way he maximised his value by moving 11 times in his career (scoring 325 goals in the process). A certain section of society found this a bit nouveau riche — a bit Tallaght, if you like.

Maybe it would have been better if he was born in England but declared for Ireland, we love that.

Now is the time to remember he was the Keane who didn’t walk out in Saipan, the young Keane who scored the vital goal against Germany in the World Cup, and treated us to his daft cartwheel. Remember how you felt that day. And say thanks to Robbie Keane.