Former Liverpool player Robbie Keane has said he wishes he had stayed at the Merseyside club for longer now.
Speaking on the ‘We are Liverpool’ podcast alongside hosts Robbie Fowler and Peter McDowall, the 42-year-old shared his thoughts on his short-stay at Anfield – having only been at the club for six months.
“Would I have liked to stay longer? Absolutely,” said Keane.
“Of course, it was shorter than I wanted, because you never sign for a club expecting to stay for that short amount of time, but I certainly don’t regret it.
“It doesn’t hurt me because I’m not one of those guys that sits at home and goes, ‘I wish that would have happened.’
“Listen, of course I would have liked to stay for years and definitely have the opportunity to win something.
“I have to say, when I came back [to Anfield] and I scored that goal when [Tottenham] got beat, the stadium gave me a standing ovation. That meant a lot to me because I think they kind of felt my hurt a little bit.”
Keane says he wishes he could have stayed at Liverpool
In the summer of 2008, Keane left Tottenham to join Liverpool in a deal worth £19m.
He went on to make 28 appearances for the Reds, during which he scored seven goals and made five assists.
However, after failing to establish himself as a regular in Rafa Benitez’s team, he re-joined Spurs just six months later during the January window. He moved for £7m less than what the Merseyside outfit paid to sign him.
Therefore, it seems strange Liverpool bought him in the first place, as they didn’t seem willing to give him much of a chance. This is in spite of the fact that he had bagged 107 goals in 254 appearances for the Lilywhites.
The boyhood Reds fan ultimately had his dream move cut short by Benitez.
However, as he says himself, he doesn’t regret anything at all, as he achieved a lot throughout his career – including making 146 appearances for the Ireland national team.