Keane sees red

Keane as mustard

After weeks of speculation, the deal has been done. Robbie Keane is now a Liverpool player.

The Tottenham and Republic of Ireland striker put pen to paper yesterday on a four year deal that should net him around £80K a week – and see Tottenham improve their bank balance by £20.3m.

Keane, 28, is a lifelong Reds fan and couldn't pass up the chance to join his team. However, he was full of praise for Tottenham for allowing the deal to happen.

'I would like to place on record my thanks to the board, players and fans of Tottenham for the past six years, which were the best and most enjoyable of my career to date,' he announced.

'I will never forget them. I would specifically like to thank chairman Daniel Levy for understanding that, as a fan, joining Liverpool is a lifelong dream of mine and one I couldn't let pass me by.

'I hope one day the Spurs fans, who have been brilliant to me, can understand this.

'I have only good things to say about my time at Tottenham and expect them to go from strength to strength under Juande Ramos and Daniel Levy.'

A shame then that Levy couldn't be quite as upbeat about the transfer.

'I was incredibly disappointed when I first heard, not only that Liverpool had been working behind the scenes to bring Robbie to Anfield, but that Robbie himself wanted to go and he submitted a transfer request to this effect,' moaned the Spurs chairman.

'I don't regard it as a transfer deal - that is something which happens between two clubs when they both agree to trade. This is very much an enforced sale, for which we have agreed a sum of £19m as compensation plus a potential further £1.3m in additional compensation.'

Blimey. Don't beat around the bush, Daniel. You tell it like it is, mate...

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