Next Tottenham manager: Robbie Keane clarifies stance on taking job after Thomas Frank sacking
Former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane is currently in charge of Hungarian side Ferencvaros
11:25, 11 Feb 2026Updated 11:25, 11 Feb 2026
Robbie Keane is happy in Hungary despite being linked with the Tottenham job
Robbie Keane has indicated he’s not currently interested in returning to the Premier League – despite links with the Tottenham vacancy.
Spurs confirmed on Wednesday morning that they’d parted company with Thomas Frank following their 2-1 Premier League defeat at home to Newcastle.
Keane, who previously captained the club, has been sharpening his managerial tools in Hungary with Ferencvaros, who currently sit top of the league.
His success in Budapest has fuelled speculation that he could be a genuine candidate to replace Frank but Keane is adamant he’s not fussed about returning to English football.
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He told Hungarian newspaper Nemzeti Spor t this week: “I never dream about it. After playing there the most, people back home expect me to work in England. It doesn’t work that way for me. Am I looking for the opportunity to sign for England? No. Would I like to be the manager of Liverpool? No. If they want me to be one, we can talk about it.
“I feel great at Ferencvaros, I couldn’t be in a better place right now. I am lucky because I don’t need money, I earned a living when I was a player, I don’t do it to get money at the end of the month, I am motivated by something completely different.”
Keane joined Ferencvaros in January 2025 and fired them into the Europa League knockout stages this season with two matches to spare following victory over Rangers.
He was previously linked with the Celtic job but penned a new contract in December, committing his future to the club.
Robbie Keane is flying at Ferencvaros in Hungary(Image: David Balogh/Getty Images)
The former Republic of Ireland striker moved into coaching back in 2018 when he was player-manager of Indian Super League side ATK.
He later worked under Jonathan Woodgate at Middlesbrough as an assistant before also helping Sam Allardyce at Leeds during the back end of the 2022-23 season. Keane then landed his first full-time position in Israel when he joined Maccabi Tel Aviv.
While Keane remains fairly inexperienced in managerial circles, he made 306 appearances for Spurs and won the League Cup with the Lilywhites in 2008.
The former centre-forward also understands the club’s history and DNA, though he’s thought to be against the prospect of being an interim coach.
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