Robbie Keane backed to make Premier League move after Tottenham links
Sam Allardyce believes Robbie Keane has earned a shot in the Premier League amid links with Tottenham.
Before Tottenham decided to sack Thomas Frank last Thursday, Ferencvaros boss Keane was among the favourites to succeed the Dane.
The 45-year-old has impressed in charge of the Hungarian side since taking over in January 2025. He has won 59 per cent of his games at the Budapest outfit and guided them to the league title last year.
Off the back of helping them punch above their weight in Europe, Tottenham have reportedly been keeping tabs on their former striker.
And while Igor Tudor has taken the reins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until the end of the season, Allardyce thinks Keane has given himself a good chance of an English top-flight switch.
Sam Allardyce makes Robbie Keane claim over Leeds United role
Keane is relatively new to management, with his first senior post coming in 2023 when he took over at Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The Irishman, who did have a short stint as a player-manager at ATK in India in 2018, won the Israeli Premier League and Toto Cup in Tel Aviv, before leaving in the summer of 2024.
Before he cut his teeth there, however, he was part of Sam Allardyce’s coaching staff when the former Bolton boss was tasked with keeping Leeds United in the Premier League at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Keane, Allardyce, and Karl Robinson were unable to achieve that goal, but that has done little to hurt the former’s coaching career. Now, Allardyce has sung his praises, while positing that if he had kept Leeds up, Keane may still be his assistant.
On the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Allardyce said on Keane: “On the basis of what he’s done in Europe and how successful he’s been, he deserves a job over here. He would have stayed with me and Karl if I had stayed at Leeds.”
Leeds legend Eddie Gray also gave the former Whites forward his backing, suggesting Keane was as good a candidate as anyone else to come to the Premier League.
Gray added, “He’s as good a shout as anybody.”
- Read more: Michael Dawson backs Robbie Keane to be new Tottenham manager – here’s why it won’t happen
How likely is it that Keane joins Tottenham this summer?
While Tudor will take charge of Tottenham as they bid to beat the drop this season, with Spurs currently 16th in the division, it seems unlikely he will get the role full time.
Indeed, his record of 12 jobs in 11 years does not exactly breed confidence. He has a reputation for being something of a firefighter, rather than someone who will be there long term.
The Croatian has been sacked multiple times or has resigned off the back of disagreements with the club’s hierarchy. Keane is less experienced but has impressed in a short period, albeit at a lower level.
| Robbie Keane managerial roles | |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv: 41 wins, nine draws, six losses, 73.21% win rate | June 2023-June 2024 |
| Ferencvaros: 38 wins, 14 draws, 12 losses, 59.35% win rate | January 2025-present |
It seems inevitable that he will get a bigger managerial job but a move to Tottenham may be a bit premature.
Spurs have also been linked with recently resigned Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi and ex-Tottenham manager and United States national team coach Mauricio Pochettino, two candidates who are likely to be more in demand.
But Keane, who was among the bookies’ favourites for the role, is doing all the right things so far in his bid to reach the top.
For more in-depth coverage on Tottenham, follow Football Insider for the latest insight and updates