Parallel Journeys: How Injury Redirected Will Keane’s Career While Harry Kane Soared

Keane was Kane s England team – While Harry Kane prepares to face Argentina on the international stage, Will Keane is experiencing a different kind of footballing moment. The 33-year-old striker is currently spending his days at Champneys Springs in Leicestershire, participating in one of 45 players selected for the Professional Footballers’ Association’s twelve-week pre-season programme. This initiative, now in its third iteration, creates a competitive setting for out-of-contract professionals eager to secure new employment.

A Crucial Crossroads in 2012

Looking back to May 2012, Will Keane appeared destined for greater glory than his contemporary. As one of England’s two strikers for the Under-19s European Championship qualifier against Switzerland, Keane seemed the more promising prospect. He had never encountered significant setbacks, and his trajectory pointed toward World Cup semi-final contention. “I’d never had any setbacks at that point,” Keane reflected in conversation with BBC Sport. “When you’re young, you’re fearless. The whole trajectory of my career was up. I made my senior debut [for Manchester United]. We won the Youth Cup. I was doing well for England. Everything was taking off.”

However, fortune intervened dramatically. Just five days after congratulating Kane on his second goal in England Under-19s’ 5-0 victory over Slovenia, Keane suffered a serious knee injury. The setback kept him sidelined for sixteen months, a period during which Kane completed loan spells at both Norwich and Leicester before establishing himself at Tottenham.

“It’s timing,” says Keane. “Some lads go their whole career and have a few niggles, but nothing derails them too much. That first injury was at a crucial time. I had my foot in the door. The feeling was I would probably have been around the first team.”

Keane acknowledged that had the injury occurred slightly later, he might have secured an established position in the squad. Instead, he missed sixteen months during the critical transition from reserve football to senior appearances.

Building a New Chapter

Now at the age of thirty-three, Keane believes he has several years remaining in his career. He has not relinquished hopes of extending beyond his five senior Republic of Ireland caps. In an interesting reversal of his twin brother Michael’s path, Will represented England at youth level but chose to play senior football for the nation where his father was born.

“A couple of lads I know did the camp last season and spoke really highly,” said Keane. “I almost feel like I’m part of a squad, and we’re away for pre-season. There are so many staff; medical, coaching, administrative, media.”

The camp structure includes seven or eight competitive matches, allowing clubs to evaluate potential signings. An application enables participating teams to access training data, functioning similarly to a transfer list. Clubs can reach out directly to players, potentially facilitating immediate integration upon signing.

Overcoming Adversity

Keane’s journey has been marked by resilience. His previous experience of being out of contract came in 2020 when the pandemic created financial uncertainty. Ipswich Town opted not to exercise their one-year option, prompting Keane’s return to Wigan Athletic. This move added to a career spanning eight clubs, accumulating 335 senior appearances and 85 goals.

His mental approach evolved through hardship. Following his initial ACL injury, Keane suffered another setback in February 2016 when he tore his groin during Manchester United’s FA Cup encounter with Shrewsbury. This misfortune meant seventeen-year-old Marcus Rashford, rather than Keane, occupied the bench for the Europa League match against Midtjylland. When Anthony Martial withdrew from the warm-up, Rashford seized the opportunity, scoring twice against Midtjylland and adding two more in the subsequent Premier League fixture against Arsenal.

“I went to America for an operation, landed in Philadelphia, turned my phone on and saw he scored two more,” Keane recalls.

At twenty-three, Keane recognized his United tenure had concluded. The club he and his family supported had seemed certain to produce a first-team regular. Further challenges emerged at Hull City, where he suffered another ACL injury in his sixth appearance, missing fourteen months while Hull suffered relegation. Many of his contemporaries secured strong moves during that period—Harry Maguire to Leicester, Andy Robertson to Liverpool, and Sam Clucas to Swansea.

Despite these obstacles, Keane’s perseverance has yielded success. He ultimately claimed the League One title and Golden Boot with Wigan, proving that timing, while crucial, does not define a career’s ultimate potential.