'Robbie Keane is a national treasure,' says Niall Quinn

The former Republic of Ireland striker likened the LA Galaxy star to Liverpool forward Luis Suarez and suggested that he would be missed when he retires from internatonal football

Niall Quinn believes that Robbie Keane should be regarded as "a national treasure" and believes that the 33-year-old's retirement will be a source of "concern."



Likening the LA Galaxy striker to players such as Luis Suarez and Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero, former Republic of Ireland international Quinn says that there is no "natural successor" to Keane currently within the ranks of the Boys in Green.



Quinn, who scored 21 goals in 92 appearances for Ireland, believes that younger strikers in the Ireland squad could learn a lot from Keane, whose goal tally for his country now stands at 62 in 131 appearances.



"There'll be concern when Robbie's gone," Quinn told reporters. "There are other strikers, Anthony Stokes put a marker down in the recent internationals, Kevin Doyle is back after being unfairly treated by [Giovanni] Trapattoni.



"You look at Jonathan Walters, Conor Sammon and Shane Long; all good players, but the reality is Robbie is our Suarez, our [Sergio] Aguero, and we don't have a natural successor yet.



"Anybody who gets picked to go in after him has an impossible act to follow to match his goal tally. It has just been phenomenal. Nor is it an accident that he gets these goals because I saw the way he applies himself.



"I'll remember his training as long as I live. All these players could do worse than watch him in training from time to time rather than doing their own thing, because someone will pick it up.



"Hopefully the natural mantle will be taken on. It's not the problem yet; when he stops it will be a bigger problem. He is a national treasure."



Quinn also paid tribute to Ireland's new managerial duo of Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane, suggesting that O'Neill would bring the best out in his assistant.



He said: "Martin will get the best out of Roy. You can already tell from some of the comments that the players are enjoying working under Roy. The double impact of both men is rubbing off.



"It'll get better too because they'll look at the under-21s, the under-18s and the League of Ireland. With Trapattoni, those areas weren't even given lip service."