PERHAPS AWARE of the hostility with which some Aston Villa fans have greeted the prospect of signing Robbie Keane on loan, Alex McLeish yesterday gave a glowing appraisal of the man he thinks can add some spark to a stuttering season.
Confirming talks were ongoing with the LA Galaxy and Republic of Ireland striker, McLeish said he is looking to sign a “character” as well as a player and that the 31-year-old fits that mould perfectly.
With Villa expected to cover Keane’s €44,000 a week wage and pay a loan fee in the region of €500,000 for what is essentially a six-game deal, it’s a dicey venture for the manager and owner Randy Lerner, who have already lost the hearts and minds of the club’s support.
“It’s not far away,” McLeish said of deal. “We’re trying to get things cleared [for him to play next week]. The club have sanctioned it. They didn’t think it was too big a risk. Robbie’s got good experience. He’s good in the dressingroom and he’s highly motivated because he’s got a certain competition [the European Championship] to play in at the end of the season with his country, so he wants to maintain his level.”
McLeish feels Keane can offer something intangible to the squad and help lift morale on and off the pitch as Villa look to improve on a season that has seen them win just five of their 20 games, scoring only 22 goals in the process.
“Robbie has got massive experience as a striker,” added the Scot. “That’s first and foremost. He is a great character as well. Players can enlighten the dressingroom as well, and these factors are all so important in this professional game.
“I just think the glove fits. He can score goals. He is capable of hurting other teams with his team play. But, as it just so happens, he is also one of the brighter guys around football and has been for a long, long time.”
The manager wants the deal pushed through by Monday so Keane can prepare adequately for the visit of Everton on Saturday week. He did suggest they might walk away if negotiations drag on, but that looks unlikely to be the case at this stage.
Keane has been keeping fit while training with his former club Tottenham Hotspur and has seemingly decided he would benefit more from a competitive environment with Euro 2012 in sight and Major League Soccer set to resume again on March 10th.
Galaxy, in fact, have a Concacaf Champions League quarter-final against Toronto FC on March 7th, so his stint at Villa is unlikely to go beyond the visit to Wigan Athletic on February 25th.
His first outing at home to Everton is likely to see him pitted against his Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan who is on loan to the Merseysiders for the second time. He also faces the prospect of a return to Molineux to face his first professional club Wolves, before games against QPR, Newcastle and Manchester City.
Keane's arrival would increase McLeish's striking options, but the manager insists Villa have no intention of selling Darren Bent, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool during this transfer window.
