• On-loan Spurs striker still unsure about his future
• Neil Lennon puts pressure on Celtic board to make offer
Robbie Keane says he is keeping an open mind regarding his future beyond this season and has not ruled out staying with Celtic.
Keane has little over a month remaining on his loan deal in Glasgow and the Tottenham striker, who earns £68,000 a week, said: “I’m not saying there is a chance or that there isn’t a chance [of staying]. I’m just saying that when I came here we said we would speak at the end of the season if there was an opportunity to do so.
“I’m neither decided nor undecided. I’m going back to Spurs, we will sit down and if something was to happen then we haven’t spoken about that yet. As far as I’m concerned we wait until the end of the season and then, in football, you never know.”
Keane, who will line up for Celtic in tomorrow’s Scottish Cup semi-final against Ross County, added: “I’m not thinking about leaving Spurs or anything else right now. I’m thinking about this game, I’m not concentrating on Spurs or anything like that. I’m a Celtic player, being paid to play for Celtic and my focus and concentration is fully on that.”
Neil Lennon, Celtic’s interim manager, has put pressure on his board, insisting they can afford to sign Keane this summer. “I wouldn’t rule anything out,” Lennon said. “Ultimately it will be Robbie’s decision, whether he wants to stay or go. We will just keep hammering away at him.”
Keane has scored 12 goals in 12 games and Lennon said: “The more positive results, if we’re playing well, the more we might be able to turn his head. We’ll try to convince him. He’s a world-class player, he loves the club, he has shown that already in the short time he’s been here. We’d love to have him.”
CelticTottenham HotspurEwan Murrayguardian.co.uk
