Keane punts on Reds to win Champions League
dubai — Former Liverpool striker Robbie Keane believes that The Reds can go the distance this season and win a sixth Champions League.
Jurgen Klopp’s men have blazed their way through to the semifinal of the elite competition with their ‘heavy metal football’ and stand on the threshold of their first European title since 2005.
The Merseyside club take on Italian club AS Roma, who stunned La Liga giants FC Barcelona, over two legs to be played on April 24 and May 2. The first leg will be played at Anfield. Liverpool were dominant against Manchester City in the quarterfinals, winning both the legs at a raucous Anfield and the Etihad Stadium.
That heady night in Istanbul in 2005 is still fresh with Liverpool staging one of the greatest ever comebacks under captain Steven Gerrard against AC Milan to win the final in the Turkish capital.
And Keane, who played one season for Liverpool, felt that Liverpool could go all the way this season.
“I think with the attacking force that they have, certainly for me, they are one of the favourites when you look at the teams left in it,” Keane said on the sidelines of the Hublot Match of Friendship at the Dubai Opera Garden.
“They are quite capable of scoring against anybody at any given time and defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they can’t go on and win it,” added the Irishman.
His optimism stems from the fact that Mohamed Salah has been in the form of his life, having plundered 40 goals across all competitions on his debut season with Liverpool. In fact, the attacking triumvirate of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino
I think with the attacking force that Liverpool have, certainly for me, they are one of the favourites when you look at the teams left in it Robbie Keane
have bludgeoned 33 goals in the Champions League.
And Keane, who also plied his wares for Tottenham Hotspur and a host of other clubs, said Salah has been a revelation and also credited Mane and Firmino.
“Unbelievable, he’s been phenomenal really. You could name any of the front three really. But for him at a personal level, he’s been unreal, been great to watch and hopefully he continues until the end of the season, which I’m sure he will because he’s been in fine form,” said the 37-year-old.
Meanwhile, Keane is just coming off a season in the Indian Super League where he was the player-cum-manager with Atletico de Kolkata. He has been playing since 1997 and those competitive juices are still flowing and while Keane was keen to continue, he didn’t rule out dipping his feet into coaching, maybe in the UAE, where he is on a holiday.
“I’ve got to take a few weeks off, have a break and decide what I really want to do, whether I carry on playing, which is an option. I could easily do for another couple of years or I start going down the coaching road. I’ll take a bit of time out to consider it and then we’ll see but by no means will I be sitting idle. I’ve been coming out here a long time on holiday with the family and it’s certainly something that would interest me, of course. I’ll always keep my options open and certainly this is a place I’m very, very used to.”