ROBBIE KEANE is confident he will overcome the lean start to his Liverpool career and score the goals to justify his place in Rafael Benitez’s plans.
The Republic of Ireland international has netted just four times in 23 appearances since his £20million summer move from Tottenham Hotspur, where he scored 107 goals in 254 games during a six-year stint.
Keane was dropped from the weekend win at Blackburn Rovers, prompting speculation in some quarters that Liverpool could cash in on the 28-year-old during the January transfer window.
Although warning the player he must improve his form, Benitez stated at the beginning of the week he has no intention of parting with the striker next month.
And having been recalled for the 3-1 Champions League win at PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday night, Keane insists he is going nowhere while convinced he will soon find the target on a regular basis.
“I know I will score a lot of goals for this club,” said the forward. “Sometimes it doesn’t work out as well as you’d like but I know for a fact it’s only a matter of time before I start scoring a lot of goals.
“In football everyone goes through stages. I don’t want to keep harping on about it because I’m not worried so I don’t see why others should be.
“I’m confident in my ability and always have been. I haven’t scored all those goals over the last 10 years for nothing, and I know it’s not going to stop now. But I accept that at club like Liverpool, as a striker you are judged on the goals you score. I love scoring goals, but I also love being involved.”
Such has been Keane’s underwhelming form this season, his appearance in Holland was only the fourth time he had played the full 90 minutes as a Liverpool player.
But the striker is determined to prove a success at his boyhood club and hasn’t even considered moving a possible departure.
“There has been lots of speculation and people like to create something that’s not there but that is out of my control,” said Keane. “For me it’s not even an issue. Why am I so committed? I have only just come, I’m a Liverpool player, and I intend to be for a long time, not just five months.
“In life sometimes things don’t go as well as you’d like all the time. But I’m not just going to throw in the towel and accept it, it’s about performances like tonight, getting out there and showing what you’re made of.
“I know I have got a future at this club. I don’t want to see the headlines saying ‘I’m staying,’ because that’s not even a question. I am staying because I have just come, I want to be part of a Liverpool side for the future, and I want to be a big player for this club and I will keep working hard to try and make that happen.
“I will just keep going. It’s not for me to say what I’m doing, but what I will say is I have only been here a few months and you should judge someone over a while, not judge them over just a few months and jump the gun on things.”
Although Keane failed to score in Eindhoven, he turned provider for David Ngog.
And he added: “I really enjoyed it. I was getting involved a lot and enjoyed playing in the position off the main striker. I got involved and created a few chances for the lads. That’s my game, that’s what I like to do.
“I love scoring but I love creating goals for others and I did that for David. I get a buzz out of that which is great and he took it well. I feel happy enough with my performance.”
The Republic of Ireland international has netted just four times in 23 appearances since his £20million summer move from Tottenham Hotspur, where he scored 107 goals in 254 games during a six-year stint.
Keane was dropped from the weekend win at Blackburn Rovers, prompting speculation in some quarters that Liverpool could cash in on the 28-year-old during the January transfer window.
Although warning the player he must improve his form, Benitez stated at the beginning of the week he has no intention of parting with the striker next month.
And having been recalled for the 3-1 Champions League win at PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday night, Keane insists he is going nowhere while convinced he will soon find the target on a regular basis.
“I know I will score a lot of goals for this club,” said the forward. “Sometimes it doesn’t work out as well as you’d like but I know for a fact it’s only a matter of time before I start scoring a lot of goals.
“In football everyone goes through stages. I don’t want to keep harping on about it because I’m not worried so I don’t see why others should be.
“I’m confident in my ability and always have been. I haven’t scored all those goals over the last 10 years for nothing, and I know it’s not going to stop now. But I accept that at club like Liverpool, as a striker you are judged on the goals you score. I love scoring goals, but I also love being involved.”
Such has been Keane’s underwhelming form this season, his appearance in Holland was only the fourth time he had played the full 90 minutes as a Liverpool player.
But the striker is determined to prove a success at his boyhood club and hasn’t even considered moving a possible departure.
“There has been lots of speculation and people like to create something that’s not there but that is out of my control,” said Keane. “For me it’s not even an issue. Why am I so committed? I have only just come, I’m a Liverpool player, and I intend to be for a long time, not just five months.
“In life sometimes things don’t go as well as you’d like all the time. But I’m not just going to throw in the towel and accept it, it’s about performances like tonight, getting out there and showing what you’re made of.
“I know I have got a future at this club. I don’t want to see the headlines saying ‘I’m staying,’ because that’s not even a question. I am staying because I have just come, I want to be part of a Liverpool side for the future, and I want to be a big player for this club and I will keep working hard to try and make that happen.
“I will just keep going. It’s not for me to say what I’m doing, but what I will say is I have only been here a few months and you should judge someone over a while, not judge them over just a few months and jump the gun on things.”
Although Keane failed to score in Eindhoven, he turned provider for David Ngog.
And he added: “I really enjoyed it. I was getting involved a lot and enjoyed playing in the position off the main striker. I got involved and created a few chances for the lads. That’s my game, that’s what I like to do.
“I love scoring but I love creating goals for others and I did that for David. I get a buzz out of that which is great and he took it well. I feel happy enough with my performance.”
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