Several reports from Ireland are claiming Robbie Keane is on the verge of leaving Shamrock Rovers and is contemplating a move to Indian Super League side ATK, who recently roped in Manchester United legend Teddy Sheringham as the head coach.
According to the Irish Mirror, ATK could be set for major competition from good old Harry Redknapp, who hopes to bring on Keane at Birmingham City FC, for the EFL Championship 2017-18 season.
Keane, 37, one of the greatest forwards to ply his trade in the English Premier League, for clubs like Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, may not be a full-time player for the Rovers but he has been training with the club ever since he made the exit from MLS side LA Galaxy at the end of 2016.
"He's still in with us everyday, training like a 17-year-old. If anything he's got better," mentioned Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley of Keane.
"He's doing more coaching and has got more comfortable around the group. But it looks like he's going to be on his way soon."
Keane, who is the most-capped player for the Republic of Ireland national football team as well as the top scorer of the nation, has never really got his hands on the coveted Premier League trophy. He, however, has been the Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Year in 2003, 2006 and 2008.
He was also the Celtic Player of the Year in the 2009-10 season.
ATK, meanwhile, who have rechristened themselves as Aamar Tomar Kolkata after calling off their association with Atletico Madrid, has roped in the best Indian football stars from the ISL Player Draft 2017.
Full list of players bought so far: Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Jayesh Rane, Robin Singh, Augustin Fernandes, Keegan Pereira, Shankar Sampingraj, Anwar Ali, Rupert Nongrum, Ashutosh Mehta, Hitesh Sharma, Ronald Singh, Kunzang Bhutia, Bipin Singh.
With the foreign players yet to be announced for ISL 2017, it is expected that a big name like Sheringham could have a huge influence in bringing in some of the top football stars from the United Kingdom to play for ATK.
The signing of Keane, for now, could be the first major sign of great things to come.
