Players who have been coached by Robbie Keane have already provided real insight into what the 45-year-old is like to work under, following his links to the now vacant Tottenham job. The ex-striker is the current Ferencvaros boss, having joined the Hungarian side last January.
His other experiences involve a spell at Maccabi Tel Aviv, as well as assistant roles at Middlesbrough, Leeds United, and the Republic of Ireland. In that time, Keane has been building up his own identity and philosophy, creating what will be his own coaching methodology.
If that time results in a return to Tottenham as head coach, then it will be interesting to see how he can get the most out of the players within the squad. And if the players he has previously coached is anything to go by, then there could be some excitement in store for the Spurs attackers.
Speaking in 2019, Middlesbrough striker Ashley Fletcher revealed how delighted he was to learn from Keane after having a phone call with the coach. He said: "There's no better person you would want (to work with).
"He's played in the Premier League for many years, he's played for top teams, he's played in the Champions League, played in World Cups so to learn from him everyday was always going to benefit me.”
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Similar praise came from Callum O'Dowda, who spoke about their time working together in the Republic of Ireland international setup. "He's still got it, I'll tell you that," he said about Keane. "Even in training when you watch him, he's fantastic just as he was a fantastic player.
"As a coach now, I asked him how he is finding it. He obviously misses playing but he's someone you definitely look up to. As soon as he opens his mouth, you want to listen to him given the level that he has played at and what he has done for the country.
"It's phenomenal really. On the coaching side he has been good. Obviously as a striker he knows that they want from me, as a wide player, he knows the service that they want. It's the little things as well, mentally getting into your head, he's definitely good to have around."
That is exactly what Tottenham fans will want to hear about the potential hire, given the attacking football that is expected at the club. Along with the results, the style of play was part of the problem that saw Thomas Frank sacked from his role as head coach this week.
Spurs have scored just 36 goals in the Premier League from 26 games, which may have been impacted by several injury issues. However, the remit for the next coach will likely include a desired improvement in the forward ranks in the short-term and long-term.
While forwards have sang Keane's praises, so too has former Ireland defender Darren O'Dea, who praised his coaching back in 2018. "Robbie is going to settle in easily. He was like a coach when I was playing with him and he was one of the best captains I played under," he said about the transition to coaching.
"If I was a player in that dressing room I would want to listen to what Robbie Keane has to say. He's a fantastic guy and I don't need to speak about his credentials as a player."
While there has been plenty of praise for Keane as a coach, it remains to be seen whether that could scale up to managing Tottenham, if that opportunity arises.
