Ireland captain Robbie Keane has said that he will walk away from the Irish soccer team if he loses his place in the starting XI.
Keane, who recently completed a loan move to struggling West Ham United, is under pressure to hold on to his place in the Ireland attack due to the form of the likes of Shane Long at Reading, Leon Best at Newcastle, Anthony Stokes at Celtic and Conor Sammon, who recently completed a move to Premier League side Wigan.
Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni recently stated that he would be prepared to drop Keane if he failed to get regular first –team football, but the 30-year old has revealed that his motivation to seek a move away from Spurs had little to do with his international aspirations.
“I have not really worried or thought about my position with the Ireland team,” said Keane, who is line to make his debut for the Hammers against Blackpool tonight.
For now, Keane is only concerned with helping his new club avoid relegation, and he admitted that he is prepared to step aside at international level should someone come in to take his place.
“It is all about now and I’ve said before if I didn’t play for Ireland and someone else came in, I have always said I would walk away,” he added.
Keane has joined Avram Grant’s side on loan until the end of the season in a move which could become permanent if they can avoid relegation from the Premier League. Despite more than seven years with Spurs, Keane revealed that it was not a hard decision to leave such is his desire for first-team football.
“It was not a wrench to leave, because at the end of the day, I just want to play football,” he said.
“It is a short career; you have to make the most of it. I want to play football and don’t like to get paid for sitting on the bench.”
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