The forward, who is calling time on his 18-year international career after next Wednesday’s friendly with Oman, was always there when it mattered

For Robbie Keane the hunger to score and the thrill of the pursuit are feelings that will never grow old but 18 years since making his international debut the inevitable fact that his body can no longer withstand the chase has finally been grudgingly accepted.

He has not always been universally well received and has endured a fair share of criticism throughout a remarkable career that positions him 17th in the all-time international goalscoring list, yet it is tough to think of an individual more driven by playing internationals than the Dublin street footballer who first broke into the Republic of Ireland team as a 17-year-old. Those well worn jokes about him joining his boyhood club each time he was transferred grew stale almost a decade ago but Ireland was indisputably his raison d’être.

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Sixty-seven goals from 145 appearances and his desire never wilted. Fitness permitting, Keane would be present – ready to give it his all. It is worth recalling how in 2003 he missed the 2-1 win away to Georgia due to his father’s passing. Also recovering from a knee injury at the time, he was not expected to turn up for the game away to Albania three days later but boarded a flight to Tirana after the funeral and started the scoreless draw.

Among the numerous tributes paid to the 36-year-old following the announcement that he will wear the green jersey for the final time in next Wednesday’s friendly against Oman, a previously tough sell for supporters that has now become a meaningful farewell party, one in particular stood out. Mick McCarthy, who gave Keane his debut away to Czech Republic in 1998, described the striker as being like a son on RTE radio but also, most importantly, encapsulated a key reason behind his success. “He understood the game and he had this side to him, he played like a street footballer,” said McCarthy. “Like kids used to but he had an intelligence that was way beyond his years as a 17-year-old kid in how he played and how he understood the game.”

It was under McCarthy’s reign that Keane produced one of Ireland’s greatest sporting moments – the last-minute equaliser against Germany at the 2002 World Cup. The only other player to score against the Germany keeper Oliver Kahn in Japan and South Korea was Ronaldo. Fitting company – for the Brazilian.

Apart from the cartwheeling delight of Ibaraki, it is quite a challenge to decide on Keane’s best goal. Even now hard-nosed cynics argue that he turned up only against the weaker teams.

Although 10 of the 67 came against Faroe Islands and Gibraltar, it is impossible to dispute he made an impact when it really mattered. He scored in three consecutive games at the 2002 World Cup and has found the net against the continent’s finest: Germany, Spain, Holland, Italy and France.

Keane was suffering a prolonged drought when he volleyed home in the 2002 play-off against Iran and was also the man who provided hope in the 2010 play-off before Thierry Henry infamously stretched his left palm.

In recent years his impact on the pitch lessened but his influence within the squad remained. Martin O’Neill had made it clear that the ageing star was no longer capable of spearheading his attack but his determination to stay involved was strong. He was available no matter the opposition or logistical challenge of travelling from LA to Dublin.

Despite being third choice behind Shane Long and Daryl Murphy, there was little doubt that, once fit, he would be going to France for this summer’s European Championship. Some may suggest his role was reduced to cheerleading but it is worth recalling how he was vociferously bellowing his support from the touchline in the farcical fog of Zenica during the play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

His desire to take a coaching role eventually in Ireland is well known and it would be some surprise if he does not crop up on the senior team’s coaching ticket in the future.

Keane’s last truly important goals were arguably five years ago, in the Euro 2012 play-offs against Estonia – though he did score in the 2013 qualifying defeat by Sweden. He ended up with five during the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign but all came in the fixtures against an abject Gibraltar, featuring a hat-trick in the home game scored, memorably, from a combined total of eight yards.

That made him the all-time record scorer for European Championship qualifiers and an entire country will be hoping there is one more chance to celebrate on Wednesday – a 68th goal would put him level with Gerd Müller in 15th.

Keane was not just the country’s greatest ever striker but, as the president, Michael D Higgins, put it in his glowing tribute, “a wonderful ambassador for Ireland”.