Former Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane believes that the reason he and Sam Allardyce couldn't prevent Leeds' relegation to the Championship was primarily due to timing.
Last month, veteran manager Allardyce and former player Keane joined the club, and were tasked with guiding the club away from the relegation places. However, the duo were unable to help the club avoid the drop to England's second tier after losing three of their last four games.
Following the club's relegation, Allardyce and Keane left their short-term roles.
Keane, who scored 19 goals in 56 appearances as a player for the Whites from 2001 to 2002, reflected on his short time at the club and believes the outcome would have been different had he and Allardyce arrived in West Yorkshire at an earlier date.
Robbie Keane on his Leeds United return and a big what if. #lufc https://t.co/tP83Zan6QJ
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"My time at Leeds was very enjoyable, in terms of the experience and being back at my old club," said Keane to Betway. "There are really good people there, good staff. It's a club that's got a great history.
"Unfortunately, we probably came in a little bit too late. It would have been nice if we'd have got in there earlier, I think it would have been a lot different.
"The experience was great, apart from the results, but we knew we were going to be up against it with the teams we were playing."
Despite Leeds' relegation, Keane has said he has learned a lot from Allardyce and also admitted that he knows why the former England manager has had a successful career in football.
"It was great to work with Sam, with the experience that he has, to just learn how he is with players and with staff – he's got a really good way about him and you can see why he's been very successful," added Ireland's all-time record goalscorer.
"You can only learn from these managers who have got the experience he's got, who can do what he has done over the years in these situations.
"He'd probably admit himself that we came in too late, and if the timing was a little bit earlier, I think we could have made a huge difference."
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