SOCCER: MARY HANNIGANhears how Ireland's captain has been settling in at LA Galaxy
NO SIGN of a twang yet, he’s still talking about the Ireland squad and not the roster, and he’s still Robbie, not Rob. But as Keane kept reminding everyone yesterday, when he held his pre-match press conference with Giovanni Trapattoni in Malahide, he’s only been a wet week in Los Angeles.
Figuratively speaking, of course. If he brought an umbrella with him to California, he’s had no reason to unpack it. “Obviously the weather is a bit better over there,” he said with a sunny grin.
So, how’s it going?
“Ah, it’s not really too good living in LA.”
So you like it?
“What do you think?”
That was a yes, then.
It’s been less than a fortnight since he set sail for the United States, in that time playing twice for his new club – scoring on his debut against San Jose Earthquakes in the league, his second appearance in a 2-0 win over Costa Rica’s Alajuelense in the Concacaf Champions League.
But just 160 minutes of pitch time so far is hardly, he insisted, long enough for him to give a verdict on the standard of football. “Ask me the question in a month’s time and I’d probably be able to answer,” he said.
“It’s very early days, I haven’t even really trained with the lads, we had two games in a short space of time. My debut happened so quick, I can’t remember too much, I was just off the plane. So I haven’t seen too much of the teams playing there. The club itself is a great club, everyone has been tremendous to me. The training ground is fantastic, they’re good players and they’re top of the league – so far it’s been really enjoyable.”
He never, he said, had any worries about the impact on his international career of playing in a league often derided for its standard, nor is he concerned about the number of air miles he’ll rack up when he’s commuting between club and international duty.
“For the last year or so I wasn’t playing on a regular basis and I still produced for my country. If I’m playing and getting 90 minutes once or twice a week, it can only be beneficial for me.
“I’m going to continue doing what I do for my country, that’s not going to change just because I’m 10 hours away on a flight. And it’s certainly not going to change my desire to play for my country – I have the same desire now that I had when I was 17, same commitment, for me it’s no different. So, yeah, I’m just going to continue doing what I’ve been doing for the last 10 years for Ireland: scoring goals. My record probably speaks for itself.”
Did you have to make clear to LA Galaxy your commitment to Ireland?
“They know.”
Have they been supportive?
“Yeah, yeah, 100 per cent.”
Back in May he had been less enthusiastic about a move to America, doubting whether the time was right in his career, but “the opportunity came up, things change,”, he said yesterday. “Privately, in the last year or so, I’ve been to America on plenty of occasions and really enjoyed being over there. The opportunity just came at the right time for me, so I was quite happy with it.
“I spoke to David Beckham (when he trained with Spurs last season). It was the normal chit-chat, I wasn’t trying to get a move off him, or whatever, but he told me how much he enjoyed it there, which is why he’s been there five years or so. I spoke to him and a few other people again before the move, they had nothing but good things to say.”
Whether he’ll talk to Beckham again for advice on a loan move back to Europe during the MLS close season, he doesn’t know, “but at this stage I would say that’s not going to happen, no”.
Was he relieved to have his club future settled before Wednesday’s transfer deadline frenzy?
“I didn’t worry anyway, to be honest with you. It was good to watch, obviously a lot of last-minute deals which I’ve been involved in myself, but I’m finished with that now.”
Time for the critical question: Have you met Brad Pitt or George Clooney yet? “No, not yet . . . I’ll let you know when I do,” he smiled.
Brad and George will have to wait. So far, “it’s been the two games, then back to the hotel to rest up, so I haven’t really seen too much”.
Robbie, you’re having a great career, you’ve played for so many great teams – during that career what was your favourite game and what was your favourite goal?
Heads turned. The questioner sounded impossibly young. He was too – 12-year-old cub reporter Eoin Harrington from Glasnevin.
“Emmm,” smiled Keane, who was leaving Wolves for Coventry when Eoin was born. “I’ve played a lot of games. The World Cup is the one everyone looks to, the game against Germany, but in this campaign I really enjoyed the Macedonia game and the goals I scored in that one.”
A gentle reminder, perhaps, that he’s not done yet, whatever his and the MLS’s detractors might say.
