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Strikers face a stern test  By
David Thorpe
The new Premiership season will be crucial to the careers of both of
Ireland’s top strikers but Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle face important
seasons for very different reasons.
Keane should be enjoying the prime of his career captain of his
country, a first-team regular for his club and at the height of his powers.
But competition for the striker positions is tougher at Tottenham than
at any other club except perhaps for Manchester United.
Dimitar Berbatov, Jermaine Defoe, Mido and £17million new signing
Darren Bent are all vying with Keane for the two striking positions though
Egyptian Mido may move before the transfer window closes.
Tallaght native Robbie en-joyed his best club season last year scoring
17 goals in all competitions as the White Hart Lane boys secured a fifth-placed
finish in the Premiership.
But with four other international strikers competing for his place Keane
will have to make a good start to the season if he is to continue to be
a first-team player for club and country as he enters the vital years
of his career.
The challenges facing Reading striker Kevin Doyle in the new season
will be very different.
After scoring 10 goals in his first season, Premiership de-fenders will
have picked Doyle out as the man to stop when-ever they play Reading.
The Berkshire side’s excellent debut season in the top division
means that no-one will underestimate the Royals this season and how he
copes with the increased attention he will receive will be a major test
of the toughness and talent of the young striker. |
