CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy captain Robbie Keane will get a chance to face off against one of his oldest friends on Saturday when LA face off against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
New Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson is one of the Irishman’s closest friends as both men began their professional careers with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1995 and made their professional debuts in 1997 for the English club. Their time as teammates came to an end in 1999 when Keane moved on to Coventry City.
Despite the fact that Keane’s career has taken him across the globe, he kept in close contact with Robinson who spent the last five years of his career in MLS splitting time with Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls before becoming an assistant for Vancouver.
After replacing former Vancouver boss Martin Rennie in the offseason, Robinson’s Whitecaps have enjoyed a strong start to their 2014 campaign with a 2-1-2 record. As he prepares to face off against his former teammate, Keane has tipped Robinson for success in his fledging head coaching career.
“He’s a good friend of mine and I’m delighted he was given the opportunity,” Keane said of the former Welsh international. “He’s young, enthusiastic and has good ideas. He learned the trade here, he was assistant manager for a long time and he certainly deserves a chance.”
Keane wasn’t alone in issuing the praise to Robinson as Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena also admitted that he’s been impressed with Robinson’s Vancouver side.
“It’s still early, but to date, he’s done an excellent job,” said Arena. “His team has played well and they’ve gotten points on the road while also doing well at home, he’s done a pretty good job.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
