There was a point in Robbie Keane's Ireland career where he said that if he lost his starting place, then that was it, he was done. A first-team player, not one who came to sit on the bench.
Of course, when that day came - Ireland's Euro 2016 qualifer against Scotland at Celtic Park - Robbie simply adapted. His presence in the Ireland squad was always an addition to team spirit rather than a subtraction.
Remember back to the second leg of Ireland's playoff with Bosnia last year. When the Bosnians attempted to disrupt Ireland's warm-up by landing balls in the Irish half of the field, it was a furious Keane who confronted officials from the opposition and demanded it stop.
Ahead of his final appearance for Ireland on Wednesday, Keane attended a press conference yesterday. The 36-year-old, quoted by the Irish Independent, explained just how much pulling on the Irish jersey meant for him.
When his father passed away aged just 50, Keane played for Ireland just days later in a Euro 2004 qualifier against Albania. Hours after the birth of his son, he was on a plane to join up with the Ireland squad.
For me, it was always a comfort blanket, coming back with the national team. It's been my second home.
I've had a lot of emotions in terms of my career - when my father died, which was very, very tough for me, about three days later I was on a plane going to play a game; when my son was born, two hours later, I left the hospital in LA to come back and play for Ireland.
I think that suggests to you that Ireland always (had) a very, very special place in my heart and it will continue to be that for a long, long time.
He also told the Irish Examiner that he could never understand why some players chose not to turn-up for Ireland.
I could never understand why people pulled out of Ireland games. I could never get my head around that. I think now with the international team that we are in a very strong place where everybody wants to turn up. That wasn’t the case over the years. One thing about me is that I always turned up, I’ve always tried my best, even with injuries and getting injections before games. That’s just my love for Ireland and that’s my love for the country.
Photo by David Maher/Sportsfile
