Tuesday 30 August 2016 07:42, UK
Robbie Keane has said that though it has been an emotional and surreal week, the time is right for his impending international retirement.
After 145 caps and 67 goals for the Republic of Ireland, this Wednesday will see Keane play the final match of his international career against Oman at the age of 36.
Keane announced last Thursday that he would be retiring and during an FAI press conference on Monday, he thanked the Irish supporters and reminisced about some of the key moments of his Republic of Ireland career.
"It's been an emotional week. It's been surreal. I've dreaded this day for a long time [but] it's the right time for me," said Keane.
"To the fans, it's been an incredible journey and something I'll never forget. Wednesday night will be very emotional.
"The defining moment of my career was being given the Ireland captain's armband at the age of 26. It was a big moment for me.
"I've had so many wonderful memories, but it's the right time. I've played for 18 years. You can't please everybody. All I ever wanted was to do my best for my country. I think I did okay."
Keane made his debut for the Republic of Ireland against the Czech Republic in 1998 and went on to represent his country at three major tournaments, including the 2002 World Cup, where he scored three goals.
One of those was a last-minute equaliser against Germany which helped enable Ireland to progress to the last-16 stage, and Keane revealed that little compares to playing in green.
"I've played for many teams. I've worn many different jerseys. The Irish jersey has always been the best fit. It's been special," he said.
"The Germany goal [at the 2002 World Cup] will always stand out for me but nothing will ever beat my first goal for Ireland against Malta.
"I've had a lot of emotions in terms of my career - when my father died, which was very, very tough for me, about three days later I was on a plane going to play a game; when my son was born, two hours later, I left the hospital in LA to come back and play for Ireland."
For the moment the former Wolves, Tottenham and Liverpool frontman will continue playing club football with LA Galaxy in the MLS, where he has been since 2011, but he refused to rule out some involvement with the international set-up in the future.
"Down the road, would I love to be involved coaching wise? Absolutely. For now I'm focused on still playing," he added.
"We have a fantastic manager and we have great players. We'll do well in this campaign and I look forward to watching it.
"I'm very grateful to be able to say goodbye. The fans have been fantastic. To go out and say thank you to the fans on Wednesday will be a special moment. I'm going to take it all in."
