I was played out of position at Liverpool

I was played out of position at Liverpool - it was clear to everyone but the boss

Robbie Keane joined Liverpool in 2008, but his Anfield career was over before it really began as he headed right back to North London

Robbie Keane claimed Rafa Benitez played him out of position at Liverpool (Image: Christopher Lee/Getty Images )

Robbie Keane blamed Rafael Benitez for his unsuccessful stint at Liverpool, suggesting that being played 'out of position' contributed to his failure.

The Irish footballer, who retired in 2018, moved to Liverpool from Tottenham Hotspur in a £19million deal back in 2008, only to return to Spurs just six months later. Keane's run with the Reds amounted to 28 games, scoring a modest seven goals and five assists.

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Benitez's team were in a close-run race for the Premier League crown during that season, and Keane was seen as an addition to bolster their title hopes. However, despite the high expectations, they finished second, four points adrift of champions Manchester United.

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Keane has been open about why things didn't pan out in Liverpool, blaming Benitez for his tactical decisions, which saw him play an unfamiliar position on the pitch. In a discussion with journalist Graham Hunter of Pundit Arena in 2017, Keane reflected on his time at Anfield.

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Keane said: "He wanted to change me to a left winger. I am clearly not a left winger, and that is obviously clear for everyone to see. The first 20 minutes he wanted me to play left wing, and obviously I had never played it before, so it was new to me.

"When I did play up front I scored goals. But when I did play, I wasn't going to play the next day, which for a striker is very difficult. He tried to turn me into something I'm not, and that was always going to be a recipe for disaster as someone used to scoring goals."

Keane didn't work out at Liverpool (Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images )

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The 44-year-old also expressed admiration for Benitez and his tactics and even claimed they were the best he worked with. Keane said: "I respect every manager I've worked with.

"They all have their ideas, different ideas, and whether I agree with them it doesn't matter. I'm not a left-winger, as we've established from 20 years of playing football, but tactically he was probably one of the best I've worked with. He knows the game inside out."

Following his retirement, Keane shared a heartfelt tribute to Tottenham, saying: "I had the great privilege to represent and captain Tottenham over 238 games.

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"I had many wonderful times there and I will look back on my days at White Hart Lane with great fondness. The club will always hold a special place in my heart.

"To all those who believed in me, supported me and picked me up when I needed a hand, you can never know how much that has all meant. It was an honour to represent you."

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Two of Keane's old sides collide on Sunday afternoon, with Arne Slot's Reds travelling to Tottenham in the Premier League. Liverpool head into the match looking to extend their two-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, while 10th-placed Spurs desperately need a result to arrest their slum and slide down the table.

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