Robbie Keane has bowed out of international football with yet with a hell of a lot of goals, but he leaves behind a million more memories.
Keane has served Ireland as well as anyone: an eighteen-year career which saw an absurd 68 goals in 146 games: many of them against the biggest international sides in the world. Few, if any strikers have scored in competitive games against the main empires of European football: France in a World Cup play-off; Holland in a World Cup qualifier; a last-minute equaliser against Germany in a World Cup; a last minute equaliser against Spain in a World Cup; a late equaliser against Italy in a World Cup qualifier.
Few Irishmen are as well acquainted with such routine clutch play. One of the few is Brian O'Driscoll, who recorded this fantastic tribute to Keane as part of Eir Sport's excellent live coverage of the farewell game.
We were blessed to have these men as our captains.
