Robbie puts country before club for crucial double header

Ireland captain Robbie Keane will join up with the Republic of Ireland squad on their first day of training ahead of the crucial double header with Andorra and Armenia next month.

New Hollywood darling Keane has put the interests of his country ahead of those of his new club and will join up with his international teammates on 3 October, four days before Ireland’s away clash with Andorra.

The Irish skipper had originally been expected to join up with the squad after LA Galaxy’s meeting with Thierry Henry’s New York Red Bulls on 4 October, but has been granted permission to miss the game so that he can prepare properly for two games which will decide whether or not Ireland can qualify for the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine next summer.

Noble and all as Keane’s efforts seem, it isn’t that much of a big deal as LA Galaxy have already secured top spot in the Western Conference thanks to a 'w' over Columbus Crew at the weekend that didn’t feature the Irish skipper.

Giovanni Trapattoni would have been entitled to prevent Keane from playing prior to the Andorra clash, but last week seemed to indicate that he had no problem with Keane taking part, even though it meant that Robbie would have turned up only a day before the game and probably feeling the effects of a long flight.

That problem has been taken out of Trapattoni’s hands by Keane’s decision to pull out of the game and he will now join the rest of the squad on the flight to Barcelona on 3 October.

Ireland take on Andorra on 7 October and Armenia four days later in the knowledge that two wins will secure at least a play-off spot.

Keane has been banging in goals for fun in the admittedly inferior MLS and we could do with more of the same from an Irish skipper next month in what are two of the most important games for the national team in years.