“It’s a great area. It’s a tough area.”
Anyone who’s scored 68 international goals for any country is going to have a bit of mettle about them.
Anyone who’s grown up in Tallaght and gone on to become an Irish legend would’ve had to dig deep from time to time and, for Robbie Keane and all the natural talent that was always going to propel him, he had to fight for his dreams too.
The Republic of Ireland record goalscorer has spoken before about the restless work rate he expended in pursuit of the trailblazing accomplishments he was bold enough to believe in. He made them happen by catching lifts to Crumlin, by jumping over gates to get into fields and by playing football any chance he could manipulate.
But he also made them happen by standing his ground when he had to.
In a fascinating insight on Graham Hunter’s The Big Interview, Robbie Keane spoke in-depth about everything from growing up to Berbatov, his relationship with Beckham, what he considers his greatest legacy at LA Galaxy, his view on the art of leadership, fearful managers and why he chose to play for a team he’d never heard of.
It was his explanation into what toughened him up which offered a real glimpse into the making of one of Ireland’s greatest ever sportspeople. Mostly, growing up in Tallaght.
“You have to be mentally strong,” Keane said of his old neighbourhood in an 80-minute chat with Hunter.
“A lot of shit happened there when I was younger that I’ve seen.
“Don’t get me wrong, around the world there are way more worse things that’s happening but I can only go on what I’ve seen – robbed cars on the street and drugs and stuff like that. But I didn’t know anything different.
“You have to look after yourself. There were fights on the street and you had to be strong. You couldn’t back away from people and you couldn’t show that weakness or that sign of weakness where people would try and bully you.”
And, still, Tallaght is home.
“When I come home for the summer, Sunday morning, first thing I do is play five-a-side,” Keane said.
“All of us from my area where I was brought up in Tallaght, my brothers, cousins, best mates.”
A lot of shit might’ve happened but a lot of shit helped Keane get to where he is today.
Listen to a free extract of The Big Interview with Robbie Keane. To access the full 80-minute interview – and unlock hours of bonus content including weekly shows and exclusives Big Interviews with Ledley King and Rafael van der Vaart – become a Big Interview Socio.
