Tony Cascarino: West Ham should sign this 36-year-old PL great

Sun 22 January 2017 22:34, UK

By Harvey Byrne

Former Republic of Ireland international Tony Cascarino believes West Ham should re-sign veteran Robbie Keane.

The 36-year-old is currently without a club after his contract expired with MLS side LA Galaxy last November.

The legendary striker has been linked with a move to the second tier and the Express reported that Leeds were interest in re-signing the experienced player.

However, retired footballer Cascarino believes that the Hammers would not go wrong if they were to try and bring Keane to the London Stadium.

“If I was at West Ham, who are desperate for a striker, or a relegation-threatened Prem side, I would be wondering, ‘Why not’,” wrote Cascarino in his column for the Irish Sun.

“Signing Robbie until the end of the season is virtually no risk.

“He could get you the four or five goals that keep you up.

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“If I am wrong and Robbie is not up to top-flight standard anymore, he will still train well and will be good around the dressing room.”

Keane is one of the iconic names of the Premier League era and is known as one of the greats of the English top flight with 131 goals in 368 appearances in the league.

He has played for Coventry, Leeds, Tottenham, Liverpool, Aston Villa and the Hammers during a 16-year career in the Premier League.

However, things did not work out for him in east London during his loan spell with the club during a loan spell in the second half of the 2010-11 campaign.

The forward scored just two goals in 10 appearances for West Ham and the team were ultimately relegated to the Championship at the end of the season.

Football Insider verdict:

Keane was clearly once a very good striker. However, there must be questions asked of his ability after six seasons in the MLS. There were already suggestions in his previous loan spells with West Ham and Aston Villa that he may not be up to playing at the level of the Premier League anymore and he would not be the wisest of purchases for Slaven Bilic in the January window. The Croatian boss already made a number of failed striker signings in the winter window and he should avoid making anymore deals for names rather than talent. The club are strongly linked with the younger Scott Hogan and they should purchase him ahead of Keane.

In other West Ham transfer news, the Hammers have signed this attacker on a three-and-a-half year deal.

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