The striker’s hat-trick was one of the few bright moments he enjoyed during his time with Leeds.
Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane’s loan spell with Leeds United was so impressive that it took just 18 league games to convince David O’Leary to part with £12m to bring him to Ellland Road permanently (via The Guardian).
Unfortunately for the Republic of Ireland hero, his permanent switch from Inter Milan signalled a poor run of form that saw him score just four times in 28 league games before he was sold to Tottenham as the early stages of United’s financial implosion began.
While his Premier League form never reached the heights it had during his loan spell once he had completed a permanent switch to the Yorkshire club, there was one performance on this day 15 years ago that suggested that Keane could be the lethal marksman for Leeds that he would become at White Hart Lane.
Robbie Keane bagged a hat-trick against Leicester
Leeds travelled to Filbert Street for a League Cup tie against a Leicester City side that already look destined for relegation from the top flight.
And it was Keane that made sure that the tie was most certainly over within the first 55 minutes as he bagged a hat-trick and set up Eirik Bakke for United’s third on the night.
Keane also set up Eirik Bakke’s goal
Goals from Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell would see the Peacocks go 6-0 up after just 64 minutes, but it was unsurprisingly Keane’s display that stole all of the headlines.
Unfortunately for Leeds, the treble was not a watershed moment for Keane. He would score just four more times for the Whites before moving to Spurs, with just two of those strikes coming in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, the form he showed for Tottenham – he scored 80 goals in 197 league games during his first spell – proved that the £7m Leeds let him leave for in 2002 (via BBC Sport) was a bargain for the North London side.
Robbie Keane after signing for Tottenham
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
