Rafael Benitez has explained why Robbie Keane’s time at Liverpool was so short-lived.
Keane is one of the Premier League’s greatest goalscorers of all-time, finding the net 126 times in the top flight – mostly for Tottenham Hotspur.
However, one club where it didn’t quite work out for Keane was Liverpool, who signed him from Spurs in 2008, only for him to return to the London club seven months later, having managed just seven goals in 28 appearances.
Now, in a Q&A with The Athletic, Liverpool’s manager at the time has revealed the reasons for Keane’s struggles at the club – pointing to a lack of chemistry with Fernando Torres.
“It was clear that the understanding between Keane and Torres was not ideal and we needed to change that quickly because it was a very expensive signing for us that was not working,” he explained.
“Torres was a faster striker and Keane used to play around [Dimitar] Berbatov, and they were two different kinds of players.
“We needed to react quickly to something that was not good enough for the team in the end.”
In the past, Keane has blamed Benitez for his failed stint at Anfield, calling out the tactician for trying to convert him into a left winger.
Elsewhere in his Q&A, Benitez revealed why Gareth Barry would have been a good signing for Liverpool, before he joined Manchester City.
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