Robbie Keane is the best Designated Player in MLS history
Robbie Keane and the LA Galaxy are parting ways. After six magnificent seasons, Keane will leave MLS's golden club, and he does so as the best Designated Player in the history of the league.
Amazingly, when the Irishman signed with the Galaxy in 2011, expectations weren't very high. He was a big name who had done some great things, to be sure, but his last few years with Tottenham, Celtic and West Ham were underwhelming, to be kind. It looked like he had nothing left in the tank and the Galaxy were signing an aging player who would just grab one last paycheck.
Even when the Galaxy won MLS Cup four months after Keane signed, the Irishman's impact was dismissed. He only scored two goals in four regular season matches than another one in the playoffs. Anyone could have done that, and LA were really carried by David Beckham and Landon Donovan anyway.
Keane's next five years in LA were undeniable, though. He scored 16 goals in 2012, plus six in six playoff matches. He had 16 the following year then 19 in 2014 to take home MVP honors before doing even better with 20 the following season. Even as he struggled with injuries in the last year, he found the back of the net 10 times. He scored 92 goals for the Galaxy in regular season play, to go along with nine in 21 playoff matches. Those are numbers that put him among the best in league history, and he was only with the Galaxy for five-plus seasons.
Keane also happened to be one of the league's best playmakers throughout his career. It's why in 125 career matches, he had 128 goals and assists combined. The Galaxy were running out one of the league's best attacks year after year because of Keane, a deadly goalscorer who also had to be tracked 20, 30 and 40 yards from goal because he would set up his teammates for tap-ins all match if you let him get the ball in any kind of pace.
On top of all that, Keane was a beloved teammates. While viewers may have only seen him yelling at everyone and anyone on the pitch, including his teammates, the rest of the Galaxy players couldn't say enough good things about him. It went well beyond the simple teammate respect talk too. Keane's teammates would talk about their captain in glowing terms, from the attitude he brought to the training pitch, to how hard he worked, to everything he would share with them and teach them how to play. It's that, as much as his jaw dropping stats that helped the Galaxy take three MLS Cups in his time there.
All of that from a player who wasn't expected to be very good. And who was looked at as the aging, old player who was making a mockery of the Designated Player role when he was signed.
When the Designated Player Rule was created in 2007, it was nicknamed the David Beckham Rule for the man that it was created. Beckham's signing was an unqualified success too, as was the rule that was later expanded several times to allow teams to sign more expensive, big name players. Thierry Henry, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Fredy Montero, Didier Drogba, Kaka and Clint Dempsey were all signed using the Designated Player role and all had (or are having) successful stints in the league. They're great players with incredible careers, but nearly a decade after the rule that made all of their signings possible, they all pale in comparison to Keane.
Keane scored more goals than them all. He had more assists. He was the consummate leader and no other Designated Player has as many MLS Cups. Robbie Keane is the greatest Designated Player ever.
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