Will Keane F Preston North End b.1993

[tricky_colour]

Ha ha nice misleading title!!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1379020/Manchester-United-3-Chelsea-0-Keane-Morrison-send-Reds-Youth-Cup-final.html

Manchester United 3 Chelsea 0: Keane and Morrison send Reds into Youth Cup final

Will Keane scored a hat-trick to see Manchester United through to the FA Youth Cup final.
But it was Ravel Morrison, United’s 18-year-old striker, who showed why he is being talked about as the most naturally talented footballer to come through the Old Trafford ranks since Paul Scholes.

http://www.douban.com/group/topic/15619475/

Oh and for the Irish amongst us wondering about his second name (considering we have had Roy and Robbie Keane play for Ireland in the last couple of years) yes he is eligible to play for Ireland but he has represented England at youth level. His twin brother Michael who also plays for Uniteds academy has declared himself for Ireland though!

[BonnieShels]

Can't you just see the headlines now in 2022... Keane has the Will to lead Ireland.
20 years after Saipan another World Cup has come to Asia and Ireland's captain believes...

[liamoo11]

Michael seems to have improved well this year and Himself and Mcginty are first choice in utd s defence now. You would have to think that William would be up for switching. That Morrison is crazily overrated by the way

[tetsujin1979]

is Brady overage for the youth cup?

[boovidge]

Damn, I thought this was going to be news that he'd switched to us!

[DannyInvincible]

Can't you just see the headlines now in 2022... Keane has the Will to lead Ireland.
20 years after Saipan another World Cup has come to Asia and Ireland's captain believes...

With the fuel elements of the media extract from this forum's rumour mill, I can just see the headlines tomorrow:

Will he or won't he? ;)

[BonnieShels]

With the fuel elements of the media extract from this forum's rumour mill, I can just see the headlines tomorrow:

Will he or won't he? ;)

One of may favourite past-times is looking at "news" that I saw here first.

The James McCarthy story wwas one of foot's finer moments.

Anyway, is there any movement on this lad's decision or is it a done deal that he's tanning?

[The Fly]

Anyway, is there any movement on this lad's decision?

I have followed the progress of many of our young players at Manchester United over the years, and hoped that Michael Keane's decision to represent us would spur something similar on the part of his more talented twin, William. However, no such decision has been forthcoming and I don't think that there has ever been any speculation regarding a switch.

He has been highly rated at United for quite some time, and his style of play has drawn comparisons with Teddy Sheringham. So.....definitely a player we could do with.

[DannyInvincible]

One of may favourite past-times is looking at "news" that I saw here first.

The James McCarthy story wwas one of foot's finer moments.

Of course, Shane Ferguson remains a work in progress.

[boovidge]

can't we make him play for us against his will like we did with all our Northern-born players?

[Yard of Pace]

I find this one quite odd as their father is a Dub and with Michael already committed to us, well, I know if it was my house my father wouldn't be in the slightest bit pleased if England was chosen ahead of Ireland. That's probably a gross understatement actually. I do realise they were both born and raised in England but I couldn't think of anything much better than representing my father's country (who also happen to actually be, y'know, good) alongside my twin brother.

[tricky_colour]

I find this one quite odd as their father is a Dub and with Michael already committed to us, well, I know if it was my house my father wouldn't be in the slightest bit pleased if England was chosen ahead of Ireland. That's probably a gross understatement actually. I do realise they were both born and raised in England but I couldn't think of anything much better than representing my father's country (who also happen to actually be, y'know, good) alongside my twin brother.


Would be interesting if they played against each other in an Ireland v England match!!

[Charlie Darwin]

I find this one quite odd as their father is a Dub and with Michael already committed to us, well, I know if it was my house my father wouldn't be in the slightest bit pleased if England was chosen ahead of Ireland. That's probably a gross understatement actually. I do realise they were both born and raised in England but I couldn't think of anything much better than representing my father's country (who also happen to actually be, y'know, good) alongside my twin brother.
I think everyone's different. I know Martin Keown said his Irish-born parents were happy he represented England because they wanted to give back to the country that had provided them with a good life.

[BonnieShels]

I think everyone's different. I know Martin Keown said his Irish-born parents were happy he represented England because they wanted to give back to the country that had provided them with a good life.

Quite right. You also would have to take into consideration the generational difference here. Will's dad is unlikely to have been under the financial pressure that Martin Keown's parents were. Pure speculation mind you but just hazarding a guess.

Also should we read anything that he's called Will rather than Liam? Maybe the mother is Ingerlish?

We could have our own Boateng sitchyashun if they were ever to play each other!

[boovidge]

their mother is English i think.

[Yard of Pace]

I think everyone's different. I know Martin Keown said his Irish-born parents were happy he represented England because they wanted to give back to the country that had provided them with a good life.

Ah they were only saying that. What would you expect them to say after the fact? They were gutted and felt like disowning him? :D

And I'd imagine if his father wasn't seething with rage then many of his relations were!

[Royal rover]

they both played Gaelic football underage as well in manchester

[Paddy Garcia]

Ah they were only saying that. What would you expect them to say after the fact? They were gutted and felt like disowning him? :D

And I'd imagine if his father wasn't seething with rage then many of his relations were!

He had no chance of getting into the Irish team (& looks should not account for everything) - no problem accommodating him within the English set up at the time.

[Deckydee]

Not that it matters to us, but he has been shown the door at United. He played for QPR for the second half of last season and well, I cant say I'm surprised

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2721328/Javier-Hernandez-Marouane-Fellaini-Nani-Anderson-Rafael-axed-Shinji-Kagawa-set-stay-Manchester-United.html

[tricky_colour]

Not that it matters to us, but he has been shown the door at United. He played for QPR for the second half of last season and well, I cant say I'm surprised

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2721328/Javier-Hernandez-Marouane-Fellaini-Nani-Anderson-Rafael-axed-Shinji-Kagawa-set-stay-Manchester-United.html

I think it will often be the case that a player we think we have lost out on turns out to be not that good anyway,
so when a young player does elect not to play for us I am never too disappointed the odds of them, making it big
are always stacked against them anyway.
However I am being a bit premature in writing them off at such young age, plenty of good players have been let go by
clubs in the past, and of course Arsenal didn't think Gareth Bale had a future at Arsenal.


Also have a surname like Keane is a bit of a double edged sword, it is sure to attract attention
but it is going to be hard to live up to the expectations, as Roy proved (lol joke).

[samhaydenjr]

Searched for a Will Keane thread and this is what came up so I thought I'd resurrect it, as there's nothing more recent - we must have always discussed him in the potentially eligible players thread. As he has got his passport, declared for us and been called up, I guess we should now talk about him in his own thread. Anyway he got his sixth goal in twelve games today, along with an assist for one of McClean's goals - https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58853258. I thought his call-up was kind of pointless, given that he will be 30 before we start another qualifying campaign and he's still only playing in League One. But I've given it some thought and I can see a case for him being brought into the fold - he is likely to be active for the next two campaigns and he is now starting to score regularly at a reasonable level. And in fairness, while his career to date hasn't been anywhere near as stellar as his youth career suggested it might be, he has been hampered by two serious injuries, losing about two and a half seasons.
So if he continues his good form and it looks like he might move up a level for 2022/23, then perhaps he might be given a shot in whatever friendlies we play next year and, if that goes well, in The Nations League.

[SkStu]

Anyone see any comments from Kenny about Will Keanu’s week with the squad and his impact? Haven’t seen anything myself but would be interested in whether Kenny feels he’s an option.

[third policeman]

Anyone see any comments from Kenny about Will Keanu’s week with the squad and his impact? Haven’t seen anything myself but would be interested in whether Kenny feels he’s an option.

Clearly wasn’t seen as an option for those games. Given the second was a friendly and an ideal opportunity to give him a run out, it looks like a wasted call-up.

[tetsujin1979]

He had to miss both games with an injury

[SkStu]

6 ⚽️ and 3 🅰️ in 15 league games now this season so far for the 28 year old.

[Bielsa´s irish]

Good work and este. In orher news Sheridan broke his tendon

[irishfan86]

6 ⚽️ and 3 ��️ in 15 league games now this season so far for the 28 year old.

I know not everyone has been thrilled with his call ups in the past or the suggestion he could play ahead of our younger prospects, but I have serious respect for the guy that he's still trying to make a go of it despite all of his injury problems.

If Keane can push on now and get in a few good years, you know he will play with a special kind of hunger. I'm cheering for him and hope he can force the issue and become an option for us.

[Bielsa´s irish]

I dont like the squad name wise, but on the paper doesnt matter if you cant create a COHESIVE 11, and thats what we need a COHESIVE 11 to compete, of course I would have added other players for my liking
Sean McDermott
Connor Ronan
Shane Long
James McCarthy

Sadly Cillian Sheridan has 4 months on the sidelines

[Bielsa´s irish]

Hogan is deserved there more than Keane or Collins at this time if is based on performance

[third policeman]

Completely agree and agree about Ronan too. He’s been incredibly impressive at St Mirren so far, probably more so than McGrath to be honest.

[Bielsa´s irish]

Yeah. I think Kenny doesnt want to try a bit he got with his tried and trusted

[samhaydenjr]

Ninth of the season and second in two games, along with a very good assist for Wigan's second goal in their win over Plymouth - they are up to second in a very tight race, but have games on hand on those around them. Capping him is starting to look like it was a reasonably good idea, at least.

[Razors left peg]

Ninth of the season and second in two games, along with a very good assist for Wigan's second goal in their win over Plymouth - they are up to second in a very tight race, but have games on hand on those around them. Capping him is starting to look like it was a reasonably good idea, at least.

I dont think that tying him down by capping him for a minute means anything. He was never likely to play for England at this point. That said, having him as an option might not be bad thing. Hes an upgrade on Collins anyway.

[samhaydenjr]

I dont think that tying him down by capping him for a minute means anything. He was never likely to play for England at this point. That said, having him as an option might not be bad thing. Hes an upgrade on Collins anyway.

Sorry, didn't mean we were right to cap him just to tie him down (I don't think we should do that with anyone), just that it was a good idea to get him bedded in with the aim of using him in the next campaign if he keeps his current form up, and particularly if Wigan get promoted. I've gone back and forth on my feelings about Keane. Based on his youth record, I initially thought he would be a good capture if we lost out on Kane and Bamford. Then he had a series of underwhelming loans but I thought "well, he's still young". So when Hull paid a million pounds for him, I thought that there was still a decent chance for him to be a high quality player. And then he suffered a serious injury which ruined his time there. So I was still hopeful when he went to Ipswich aged twenty-six that he still had time to have a good career. But, while he had one good patch there, he didn't exactly pull up trees. So when he got let go and got picked up by Wigan on a free, as they tried to rebuild on the cheap after administration, I had pretty much ruled out him being a factor in our plans, particularly with the young strikers we had coming through. So it came as a bit of a surprise when Kenny called him up - I mean he's going to be thirty by the time he plays in his second major tournament qualifier.

But I considered him as an option again - he's been scoring at a rate of one in two since April, none of our youngsters have yet made a major breakthrough stick and Keane will only be 33 in 2026, so he could be available for two campaigns at least. So let's see how the next few months go for him and maybe give him some time in friendlies next year and perhaps the Nations League next summer

[pineapple stu]

Scored for Wigan tonight as they go 3-0 away to Oldham in the League Cup before half-time.

Means he's on 11 for the season - the same as last year. But last year was 34 games and this year is just 26 games so far.

Usual reservations about the third tier, but it's his first real run of senior games in his career and he's delivering. Might be worth a start in March.

[Stuttgart88]

I was amazed and disappointed at his first call up tbh. It’s looking more and more like a smart move though. I’d like to see a bit more of him.

[Stuttgart88]

his goal last night matched his tally from last season (11) and in less games.

yeah, only 26 games so far whereas he played 34 last year. I had to meticulously research that.

[tetsujin1979]

sorry, stu, completely missed your post!

[pineapple stu]

Shows how stuck we are for forward options though that his is a stat worth multiple comments on!

Cos it's not really. But it is for us.

[samhaydenjr]

Continues to make his case for inclusion in the squad, in the short-term at least, with his twelfth in all competitions this season: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/59918729

[samhaydenjr]

At the age of 29, Keane is really having a break-out season - scored a brace to bring his tally to 15 in 30 games: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/60005795
By the time the next qualifiers start, it is possible that we will have four or five strikers in their late 20s/early 30s playing in The Championship and four or five in their early 20s at the same level - should Kenny continue to plan for the future or should it be purely about form at the time?

[Trequartista20]

Seems too good for League One. He'd be playing in the Championship, if not the Premier League, were it not for injury.

He's technically good, and Kenny probably deserves praise for calling him up when he did.

Don't forget, Slaven, Coyne and Aldridge were all around Keane's age when they were first called up.

[samhaydenjr]

Seems too good for League One. He'd be playing with at in the Championship, if not the Premier League, were it not for injury.

He's technically good, and Kenny probably deserves praise for calling him up when he did.

Don't forget, Slaven, Coyne and Aldridge were all around Keane's age when they were first called up.

Absolutely - Aldo and Walters scored all their international goals past their 29th birthdays

[JR89]

Wigan top of the league and have a number of games in hand over the teams below them. Himself and McClean will probably be playing in the championship next season with Wigan.

[pineapple stu]

should Kenny continue to plan for the future or should it be purely about form at the time?
No point planning for the future if our inability to score hits morale or seeding I think.

Let's use the March games (if we have any) to try new options - Keane and Hogan up there at the head of the list. We need them

[Jd2793]

hes going well, would love to see him from the start in a friendly in the next window

[samhaydenjr]

No point planning for the future if our inability to score hits morale or seeding I think.

Let's use the March games (if we have any) to try new options - Keane and Hogan up there at the head of the list. We need them

Yeah, I'll agree with you there - at this point three of the youngsters have been blooded in early so I think the decision should be based purely on form from now on between them and the established players.

[mark12345]

hes going well, would love to see him from the start in a friendly in the next window

I really like Keane. At this point in the Kenny era, Keane should be the number one option to Robinson.

[Olé Olé]

I really like Keane. At this point in the Kenny era, Keane should be the number one option to Robinson.
He should be starting over Robinson- is that what you are saying?

[JR89]

He should be starting over Robinson- is that what you are saying?

Assume he means the next option to replace Robinson.