Robbie Keane’s six-month stint at Liverpool wasn’t as successful as many hoped it would be – and he even admitted he preferred playing for Tottenham Hotspur out of all the clubs he represented
Robbie Keane blames former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez for his unsuccessful spell at Liverpool, as the coach played him ‘out of position’.
The Irishman, who retired in 2018, joined the Reds in 2008 for £19million from Tottenham Hotspur – but he headed back to north London after just six months at Anfield. Keane made 28 appearances for Liverpool, scoring just seven goals and assisting five times.
During this fateful season, Benetiz’s side were challenging for the Premier League title and Keane was brought in to help the team. However, they were beaten to the trophy by Manchester United by just four points.
At the time, Keane opened up about the real reason his career never took off on Merseyside – and it was down to Benitez playing the striker out of position. Speaking to Graham Hunter of Pundit Arena in 2017, the former Premier League star believes the Liverpool manager was at fault for experimenting with his line-up.
Keane said: “He wanted to change me to a left winger. I am clearly not a left winger, and that is obviously clear for everyone to see. The first 20 minutes he wanted me to play left wing, and obviously I had never played it before, so it was new to me.
“When I did play up front I scored goals. But when I did play, I wasn’t going to play the next day, which for a striker is very difficult. He tried to turn me into something I’m not, and that was always going to be a recipe for disaster as someone used to scoring goals.”
The 44-year-old did say that he had “respect” for Benitez despite his decisions, and even claimed his tactics were the best he’d ever experienced. Keane said: “I respect every manager I’ve worked with.
“They all have their ideas, different ideas, and whether I agree with them it doesn’t matter. I’m not a left-winger, as we’ve established from 20 years of playing football, but tactically he was probably one of the best I’ve worked with. He knows the game inside out.”
Following his retirement, Keane also admitted that Tottenham is the club he will hold closest to his heart. He said: “I had the great privilege to represent and captain Tottenham over 238 games. I had many wonderful times there and I will look back on my days at White Hart Lane with great fondness. The club will always hold a special place in my heart.”
He added: “To all those who believed in me, supported me and picked me up when I needed a hand, you can never know how much that has all meant. It was an honour to represent you.”
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