Robbie Keane believes Liverpool could have won the league under Rafa Benitez if he changed one thing.
When Keane arrived at Liverpool in the summer of 2008, he was one of the Premier League’s most consistent and dangerous forwards. A marquee signing in a team that looked ready to finally challenge for the league title under Rafa Benitez.
Signed from Tottenham Hotspur for £19 million, Keane was expected to form a deadly partnership with Fernando Torres.
The Republic of Ireland captain had just come off another productive season in North London and his intelligence, movement and eye for goal looked the perfect fit for a Liverpool side ready to evolve from nearly-men into champions.
But just six months, 28 appearances and seven gaols later, Keane was heading back to Spurs, sold at a £7 million loss. It was a move that left fans baffled and has continued to provoke debate years later.
Now, the former Republic of Ireland captain has lifted the lid on what really went wrong at Anfield and why Liverpool, who pushed Manchester United all the way in the 2008–09 title race, may have fallen just short.
Speaking on an episode of Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Keane explained that he never felt fully trusted or understood by Benitez who deployed him in unfamiliar roles that stifled his strengths.
“I got there and the first game, I think we were in Sweden, I played left-wing and thought, ‘this is not a good sign’.
I’m definitely not a left-winger. I don’t mind drifting there and coming inside, but I’m definitely not a starter there.”
Though Keane did manage to score goals when played centrally, those opportunities were limited and inconsistent. But frustration stemmed from more than just tactical confusion. The former Reds striker continued, explaining how he believed there was a missed opportunity with his partnership with Fernando Torres.
“I really thought that if me and Torres had a couple of years together, we could have been talking me and Berbatov in a similar fashion. But it wasn’t mean to be, I don’t know.
I believe if I’d have stayed and I’d been given more of a chance, we could have maybe chance to win it. If Rafa knew had to use us both.”
The 2008–09 season remains one of Liverpool’s ‘what-if’ campaigns. They finished just four points behind Manchester United, despite losing only twice in the league. Had Keane been properly integrated or retained through the season it’s plausible he could’ve provided the extra firepower needed in tight games, particularly when Torres was injured.
Instead, Liverpool fell just short and Keane’s brief time at Anfield became one of the Premier League’s strangest sagas — a proven striker, signed with purpose, discarded before he ever truly settled.
Despite his Anfield disappointment, Keane remains the most prolific Irish goalscorer in Premier League history with a total of 126 goals in 349 appearances, spanning six clubs. Yet for all his success, his Liverpool chapter continues to linger a missed opportunity for both player and club.
