Striker who scored over 350 goals claims his mother forbade him from joining Liverpool as a kid.

Michael-Owen
Michael-Owen

Robbie Keane discussed his career and how he almost signed for Liverpool in the 1990s on the We Are Liverpool Podcast

Many people remember Keane signing for Liverpool in a big-money deal from Tottenham Hotspur in 2009, but he could’ve ended up at Anfield 12 years earlier when he was just a teenager.

Roy Keane,
Roy Keane,

Nonetheless, Keane eventually decided to join Wolves, following his mother’s advise not to choose Liverpool simply because he was a boyhood supporter of the club.

As a teenager, Keane was on the verge of joining Liverpool.

The Irish legend revealed how he nearly joined the Reds.


“Going over to Liverpool for trials and seeing you in the training ground, you [Fowler] were there, Collymore, John Barnes. “Seeing those major players at the time was fantastic for me,” Keane added.

Chris Sutton
Chris Sutton

“But I selected Wolves because I thought I’d have a greater chance to have a faster start at Wolves than I would at Liverpool, because you [Fowler] were there and younger guys coming through at the time I didn’t know, individuals like Michael Owen.

“‘Don’t just choose Liverpool because you support them,’ my mother advised me. Make sure you choose the team that you believe will provide you with the best opportunity.”

Probably the correct decision.

Michael-Owen
Michael-Owen

It is commonly said that you should always listen to your parents, and this is true in this instance.

Keane turned down Liverpool as a teenager, and to be honest, he made the correct decision.

As the striker pointed out, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen were at the club at the time, and he probably wouldn’t have gotten ahead of either of them for a long.

However, he broke into the scene at Wolves, gaining early career moves to Inter Milan and Leeds United before settling at Tottenham and eventually moving to Liverpool.

Michael Owen
Michael Owen

Keane’s time at Liverpool didn’t go as planned, but after 25 years and 389 career goals, he can’t really complain about how his career turned out.

The striker will be remembered as one of the Premier League’s all-time greats, and perhaps he would not have established such a legacy if he hadn’t joined Liverpool at such a young age.



Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*