Robbie Keane’s hopes of dream first job in English football dashed as Middlesbrough rule out Premier League legend
ROBBIE KEANE’S hopes of a first management job in English football have been dashed, SunSport understands.
Middlesbrough brutally sacked ex-Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick on Wednesday, after failing to make the play-offs again this season.
Keane, 44, was immediately named on the shortlist less than 24 hours after Carrick was axed.
The Republic of Ireland and Tottenham legend is coming off a title-winning season with Hungarian side Ferencvaros.
The season before he also lifted a title, taking the Israeli Premier League with Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he won the double.
That was Keane’s second job as a head coach, having started out at Indian side ATK upon his retirement in 2018.
Despite these latest reports, and some emerging in Ireland that he has actually rejected the job, SunSport understands that Keane is NOT and was never on Boro’s shortlist to become boss.
The club have sounded out several potential candidates, including names that have already been touted such as Rob Edwards and Steve Cooper.
There is also an interest in Danny Rohl, whose situation remains complicated at Sheffield Wednesday.
SunSport understands that unless a huge name comes out of the left-field, Boro are likely to go with somebody already proven in English football management, which would rule Keane out.
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The Irishman, 44, was No.2 to Jonathan Woodgate during the 2019/20 campaign but the pair were axed after a dire run led to them dropping to 21st in the Championship table.
However, they are also in no rush to make an appointment with the squad not due to return for pre-season training for several more weeks.
Chairman Steve Gibson and head of football Kieran Scott are still letting the dust settle after axing Carrick and no new appointment is likely to be confirmed until at least the middle of next week.
Former Championship-winning Nottingham Forest gaffer Cooper, out of work since he was sacked after 12 games at Leicester, is a top contender on the shortlist to replace Carrick.
Carrick and his assistants Woodgate and Graeme Carrick – his younger brother – have also departed the club.
The 43-year-old, who was the division’s longest-serving manager, led Boro from the 21st in the table in October 2022 to the play-offs.
That was followed by an eighth-placed finish and a run to the League Cup semi-finals but, despite a positive first half of this season, they eventually ended a disappointing 10th.
Keane was a Premier League great with Spurs, scoring 126 goals in 349 appearances, also playing for Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham, Leeds and Coventry.
Middlesbrough have spent 15 of the last 16 seasons in the Championship.