ROBBIE Keane has his sights set on a career in management - but not just yet. The 32-year-old LA Galaxy striker will lead the Republic of Ireland into friendly battle with World and European champions Spain at Yankee Stadium in New York during the early hours of tomorrow morning, having revealed last week that he intends to play on for another five or six years.
Keane recently signed a two-year contract extension with his MLS club and revealed yesterday there is an option on a further 12 months.
However, he will start his coaching qualifications later this year and admits his love affair with football is unlikely to end when he hangs up his boots.
Keane said: "It's the only thing I know, so when I stop playing football, what else am I going to do? This is all I know.
"I wake up every morning and look forward to going training. I could never imagine the day that's going to end, so it's certainly something I am going to look into.
"I am doing my coaching badges in December - but I am going to try to play as long as I can first.
"I have just signed a two-year contract, possibly three years, so at this moment in time, I'm not thinking too far ahead."
Keane has adopted a noticeably more analytical air in his recent interviews, and while he believes that is a natural process for an experienced football, five years working under Republic boss Giovanni Trapattoni and assistant Marco Tardelli have also played their part.
He said: "When you get older, you tend to do that. When you are younger, you have got no worries, you just think it's never, ever going to end.
"As you get older, you understand the game a lot more and you watch the mangers closely, Marco with the manager, and see their see their different ideas.
"I have been lucky enough to play for one of the great managers, so hopefully that will stand me in good stead."
In the shorter term, Keane and his team-mates will have a chance tomorrow to repair further the psychological damage they suffered at last summer's Euro 2012 finals.
The lost each of their three games in Poland, to Croatia and Italy and in between them Spain, who ran out comfortable 4-0 winners.
Only Keane and central defender Sean St Ledger who started that night in Gdansk will do so at Yankee Stadium, with Ireland having recovered substantially since with just one defeat in their last eight games.
Asked about the fall-out from a difficult campaign, the striker said: "It was difficult for everyone because of the manner in which we were beaten by teams, whereas in the past, that has never been the case.
"The way we set our stall out to play against these teams and how we are always a very, very hard team to beat, for whatever reason at the Euros, it just didn't happen for us.
"In saying that, we were playing against the two finalists, Italy and Spain, at that time, the best teams. It was always going to be difficult for us, but the way we were beaten was disappointing for everybody."
The transformation in fortunes has coincided with the emergence of a new generation of Ireland players, two of whom could face the daunting task of going head-to-head with Barcelona superstars Xavi and Andres Iniesta tomorrow.
Wigan's James McCarthy has established himself as a first-choice central midfielder for his country in recent months despite being just 22, but he will be the senior partner in the Irish engineroom alongside Derby's Jeff Hendrick (above), 21.
Hendrick will make his first start for his country after three previous appearances as a substitute. IRELAND TEAM D Forde; P McShane, S St Ledger, D O'Dea, S Kelly; S Coleman, J Hendrick, J McCarthy, A Keogh; R Keane (capt.), C Sammon.