THE curtain finally fell on Robbie Keane’s international career last night, but anybody who was lucky enough to be inside Lansdowne Road on April 22, 1998 will never forget the way it began.
With the World Cup less than two months away, Argentina - one of the favourites to finish top of the pile in France later that summer – swaggered into town with a team full of quality and brimming with big names.
Gabriel Batistuta. Juan Sebastian Veron. Ariel Ortega. Diego Simeone. At a time when Serie A was still the top league in Europe, those men were among its elite.
Yet it was the 17-year-old from just down the road in Tallaght who warmed the hearts of the crowd on a cold Wednesday night.
While the Keane name was already box office in European football at this stage, not so much was known about Roy’s namesake Robbie as he took to the field for his home debut in the Republic of Ireland jersey.
Despite having starred in Brian Kerr’s youth teams, and burst on to the scene with Wolverhampton Wanderers in England’s second tier that season, nobody could have foreseen him having such an immediate – and lasting – impact.
From the off, Keane tore into world class defenders Roberto Ayala and Nestor Sensini as though he was still playing with his mates in the schoolyard at lunchtime.
Where some youngsters freeze on the big stage, Keane’s natural ebullience saw him take to it like a duck to water. He didn’t care who he was playing against. Why would he? It was just a game of football to him.
Any time the men in blue and white had the ball, Keane hassled and harried them. Any time Keane got the ball, he ran the legs off them. It was a performance that deserved a goal, and it almost came in the second half when he was denied by German Burgos.
Robbie Keane discusses his time playing for the Republic of Ireland
Argentina’s class told in the end, first half strikes from Batistuta and Ortega doing the damage, but the result failed to dampen the mood in Dublin – despite a bit of mischief from the stadium announcer as the final whistle neared.
“Tonight’s man-of-the-match… wearing number 10…”
YEEEEOOOOOO.
The roar of the crowd went up, applause rang around the ground, until the tannoy went again…
“Ariel Ortega.”
BOOOOOOOOO.
It didn’t matter. The fans had a new hero and, in a show full of stars, theirs had shone brightly.
Now, 144 caps later, Keane is playing out the final years of a distinguished career in America, able to call upon a gallery of golden moments in the green jersey as he takes his leave from the international stage.
There was the goal that sealed a World Cup draw with Germany, the penalty v Spain, the double against the Dutch, but I’ll always remember the rough and ready young Dub who lit up Lansdowne Road 18 years ago.
Thanks for the memories Robbie.
