468 club appearances with 175 goals. 114 international caps with 53 goals. The question has to be posed, why has there not been such a stir been caused about Robbie Keane's loan move to Aston Villa, as that of Thierry Henry to Arsenal? Given, there is not the same amount of emotion and history surrounding the Irishman's move, but still he is an extremely valuable player with much to offer., an out and out goalscorer, a dying breed in the Premier League.
Alex McLeish has brought Keane to Villa Park for this six week spell to inject life into the club's season. Currently in 13th position in the Premier League after last Saturday's 1-1 draw with Everton, anything above relegation will be settled for. McLeish had his critics for not introducing Keane into the game earlier than the 81 minute mark, but he was understandably reluctant to break the rhythm of Agbonlahor and Bent, who were both playing reasonably well at that stage. 9 minutes was not enough for the Irish skipper to make his mark on the game, but in weeks to come, he will get plenty of chances.
With the growing Irish fraternity at Villa Park, Keane will fit right in. He has shared an international dressing room with Shay Given, Richard Dunne, Stephen Ireland and Ciaran Clark in the past, and has had experience with other members of the squad, as a consequence of his prolific array of former clubs, including Darren Bent, his prospective strike partner. Keane is a natural leader, but can tend to let his head drop, and let it affect his performances. He is a flair player, and needs game-time even when not playing at his best. However if this loan move starts off on a low ebb, it could already be too late to salvage it.
McLeish has announced that he is not going to be pressured into rushing Keane into the first team at Villa Park, but with such a brief loan term in question, the question has to be posed as to why he acquired his services in the first place. "We are just assessing him fitness-wise... Robbie has been looking sharp so I've got food for thought for the weekend but I don't want to give anything away in advance of the game." With the Republic of Ireland competing in Euro 2012, Keane will be eager to maintain that fitness and bring a run of form into the summer as he becomes only the second Irishman to lead his countrymen into a European Championship.
With an East-Midlands derby against Wolves this weekend, it is the perfect opportunity for him to make an impact on his Premier League return against his first club. It is amazing how much popularity from the fans can impact on a goalscorer's performances. Keane is a firm favourite of the legions of Trapattoni's green army, and his record on that stage speaks for itself, with almost one goal every second game.
Keane's loan move to Villa could go one of two ways. He could be a big hit and turn the Villans' fortunes, similar to the move of Henrik Larsson to Man Utd in 2007, or he could have an unremarkable stay in Birmingham, similar to his West Ham expedition last year, which will be quickly consigned to oblivion.