LEGENDARY ex-Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane looks set to make an emotional return to his first-ever professional club 19 years on.
The 37-year-old left Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1999 – two years after making his professional debut for the Midlands outfit aged just 17.
Keane, who is currently plying his trade for ATK in India, is reportedly hopeful that he may be able to secure an early release from his contract in order to make his Wolves return a reality.
The club were keen to re-sign the Irishman in the summer after he left LA Galaxy but he had already committed to ATK.
Wolves currently sit 12 points clear in the Championship under manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who according to the Mirror, has been ‘keeping tabs’ on Keane’s availability.
Keane joined Wolves aged 16 in 1996 from Dublin’s Crumlin United, and only had to wait a year before making his debut at Molineux.
He moved to Coventry in 1999 for a fee of £6 million – a huge sum at the time for a teenager.
The Tallaght native went on to play for clubs such as Inter Milan, Tottenham, Liverpool, West Ham, Celtic and LA Galaxy during his two-decade career.
Keane's 68 goals in 146 Ireland caps before his international retirement in 2016 have made him in many eyes the greatest player the Republic has seen.
