1 min - Following a rapturous reception by the Lansdowne Road crowd, the midfielder touches the ball for the first time in two years on the international stage, playing a simple square pass and quickly follows it up with a slick interception.

8 mins - Makes the most of a kind break to burst from the halfway line and beyond the Romania defence. He fires a cross into the path of Clinton Morrison but the Birmingham striker misses the target.

10 mins - Incisive pass into the feet of his namesake Robbie, but the attack breaks down.

18 mins - Keane pushes the ball wide to Steve Finnan and looks settled alongside Matt Holland in the centre of the pitch.

28 mins - Romania threaten in Ireland's penalty area but Keane is on hand to win possession and bring the ball away from the danger zone.

32 mins - The Manchester United skipper shows deft control in chesting the ball down and slipping a pass to Robbie Keane, who loses possession.

34 mins - Links up superbly with Robbie Keane before switching play to Andy Reid on the left.

40 mins - Breaks up a Romanian foray forward and then lays the ball back to goalkeeper Shay Given to dispel any threat.

44 mins - Encourages Robbie Keane to drop short and threads a neat 30-yard pass into the feet of the Tottenham striker.

47 mins - Keane starts the second half brightly, passing the ball to Finnan in an advanced position but his right-wing cross comes to nothing.

49 mins - Appears to have put Holland in the clear with a ball over the top but the Charlton midfielder is called offside.

50 mins - Keane almost completes a dream return with a goal but is denied from close range by a superb save from Romania's substitute keeper Bogdan Stelea.

Stelea had parried Robbie Keane's shot from Morrison's cross and he again reacted quickly to thwart the Manchester United midfielder, who had arrived from midfield and looked certain to find the net with his left foot.

52 mins - Keane drives forward but is felled 30 yards from the Romanian goal by Florin Soava.

57 mins - The ball is snatched from Keane's toes by Soava as he sets himself for a volley at goal from the edge of the area.

63 mins - Deft through ball puts Robbie Keane in the clear down the right but his cross is easily cut out.

72 mins - Strokes the ball wide to Finnan and looks to be in complete control of the midfield.

90 mins - The final whistle marks the end of a hugely successful return to international football for Keane.