Robbie Keane has landed his first managerial job as the boss of his former club LA Galaxy.
Ireland’s record goalscorer is due Stateside on a mission to rescue the Los Angeles outfit from the bottom of the Major League Soccer table.
Keane enjoyed a decorated five-year spell at Galaxy, scoring the winner in their MLS Cup final triumph of 2014.
Argentine Guillermo Barros Schelotto has overseen a wretched run of results, the latest coming yesterday in a 4-0 defeat to San Jose Earthquakes.
They have struggled this season without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Swedish star who ended his two-year spell in November following their MLS Cup semi-final defeat to neighbours Los Angeles FC.
Keane started the year working with the FAI and Middlesbrough, both as assistant managers, but ended up at a loose end when Stephen Kenny had no role for him in his set-up in April and the English Championship club sacked Jonathan Woodgate two months later.
League of Ireland champions Dundalk made an audacious move to recruit Keane as boss in August but the 40-year-old said he’d happily await the right opportunity.
Despite Kenny’s snub, Keane is still officially under contract by the FAI and receiving a salary.
Then FAI chief executive John Delaney handed the Ireland legend a four-year contract in late 2018 to assist Mick McCarthy, who only got a two-year deal for returning to the vacancy.
Kenny, elevated to the post from the U21 job earlier than planned due to Covid-19, opted not to inform Keane personally when replacing him on his backroom team with Damien Duff.