Relieved Keane realises boyhood dream
Thursday, October 2, 2008
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A change of boots brought a change of fortune for Robbie Keane, who silenced his critics and fulfilled childhood dreams by scoring his first goal for Liverpool FC in last night's 3-1 Group D victory against PSV Eindhoven.
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Keane, who struck Liverpool's second after Dirk Kuyt had put the Reds in front, offered just one of the headlines at Anfield, on a night when Steven Gerrard fired in his 100th for the club with a fantastic free-kick. Wearing boots custom-made for the UEFA Champions League, Keane finally got off the mark following his €25m move from Tottenham Hotspur FC to Liverpool, the team he has always followed as a fan.
'Annoying thing'
With the pressure now off, Keane said: "It's always nice to get that first goal out of the way. It stops people talking about it. That's the annoying thing because as a player I don't worry about it. I knew it would come and I know I'll score goals, so I don't get myself down about it. Now I can concentrate on the team, and hopefully there are a lot more goals to come."
Gerrard praise
Strike partner Fernando Torres provided Keane with his chance in the 34th minute and he took it well, cleverly guiding the Spaniard's cross past Andreas Isaksson. "It was a good ball by Fernando and I connected nicely with it first time and, luckily enough for me, it went in," said Keane. "It was a great night for Steve [Gerrard] as well. What he has done for this club is unbelievable, getting a hundred goals as a midfielder. That's a great achievement."
Doing cartwheels
Keane performed his well-known cartwheel goal celebration after opening his account for Liverpool, a moment he had long waited for. The 28-year-old added: "I said last year it would only come out for special occasions and obviously tonight was a special occasion. Having done it [the celebration] for so many years, I'd always dreamed as a kid of doing it for Liverpool, so I've done it now and I can put it back in the box for a while."
'Really supportive'
While Keane was turning somersaults, Liverpool supporters rapturously acclaimed a player they had instantly taken to their hearts and the Republic of Ireland forward acknowledged his debt to them. "From the very start, the players and everyone at the club have been great with me," he said. "The fans have been really supportive and I really appreciated them tonight. They were fantastic with me and it was nice to pay them back a little bit, but there's still a long way to go."
