Robbie Keane scenario must still plague Coventry City supporters’ minds: View | OneFootball

Robbie Keane signed for Coventry City in the summer of 1999 from Wolves in a deal worth a reported £6 million.

The transfer made the Irishman the most expensive teenager in British transfer history at the time, making the switch from the second tier to the Premier League.

The then 19-year-old had made his breakthrough into senior football at Molineux, but made the jump to top flight football with the Sky Blues.

He enjoyed a stellar debut campaign at that level for Coventry, helping the team finish 14th in the table.

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It was no surprise that he could make that leap given his success at underage level, and his 24 goals in 73 appearances for Wolves in the second tier.

But even may have been surprised when Inter Milan then showed an interest in signing him after just 12 months with the Sky Blues.

Robbie Keane’s forgettable Inter Milan stint

Inter Milan had just finished fifth in Serie A in the summer of 2000, and had otherwise had a disappointing European campaign as well.

Brazilian superstar Ronaldo was struggling with injury issues, and they were unable to even qualify for the European Cup proper, having been eliminated in the qualifying rounds.

Marcello Lippi needed an exciting young forward to help improve the team, which led to their pursuit of the Coventry star.

A deal worth £13 million was quite a coup for the Premier League side, more than doubling the cost of his arrival from Wolves.

It was a disappointing move in the end for Keane, who made just six Serie A appearances, scoring zero times, before making the switch back to English football with Leeds United.

Inter were able to make most of their money back with a £12 million deal, but Keane’s career had taken an unexpected hit.

But it was Coventry who suffered the most, with the Sky Blues ultimately finishing 19th in the Premier League in that 2000/01 season.

Their star striker had departed for Italy, and their time in the top flight came to an end as they failed to replace him - Keane even scored the winner for Leeds in a 1-0 win over the Sky Blues in late January.

Coventry’s Robbie Keane regret

Coventry haven’t been back in the Premier League since their relegation in 2001.

While the £13 million they received for Keane’s departure was a great bit of transfer business at the time, many supporters would likely prefer if the striker had simply stayed instead.

The now 43-year-old’s career stalled at San Siro, but he quickly turned things back around when he returned to England.

Stints at Leeds, Tottenham and Liverpool saw him compete at the highest level, including the Champions League, as well as at the World Cup and European Championship with Ireland.

He played in the Premier League every season from 2000-01 to 2010-11, scoring 123 more goals in the top division of English football.

Meanwhile, relegation for Coventry led to their decline as they floundered in the second tier for several years.

They eventually hit rock bottom in 2017 as they suffered relegation to League Two, before returning to the Championship in 2020.

Mark Robins’ side came to the cusp of a Premier League return in 2023 as they reached the play-off final, but perhaps they’d still be in the top-flight and avoided future turmoil had they instead kept hold of Keane all those years ago rather than cashing in when Inter Milan came knocking.