Keane moves to Celtic on loan

Spurs settle on terms with SPL club to take Irishman north for rest of the season

(reuters)

Robbie Keane, the Tottenham Hotspur striker, last night joined Celtic on loan until the end of the season. The Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp, confirmed the clubs had agreed terms for the 29-year-old, who returned to Spurs a year ago for £16m after a disastrous spell at Liverpool. Keane, a lifelong Celtic fan, has fallen out of favour at White Hart Lane.

The Republic of Ireland striker arrived at Parkhead to a hero's welcome on the stroke of midnight before addressing the throng waiting to greet him. "It's absolutely unbelievable," he said. "This is the reason why I've always wanted to come to Celtic. It's no secret over the years I've been a fan. I'm hoping to bring a lot of success in the short time I'm here."

Redknapp said of Keane: "He needs to be playing and to go to Celtic is a dream come true for him." The deal includes a £1m signing-on fee and wages of £80,000 a week. Celtic also signed Diomansy Kamara on loan from Fulham yesterday.

Keane had also interested West Ham who were put off by the striker's high wages. Having failed to sign a trio of star names in Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Eidur Gudjohnsen, West Ham have instead recruited Benni McCarthy from Blackburn, Mido on loan from Middlesbrough and the Brazilian striker and free agent Ilan.

Mido has been taken on loan until the end of the season in a remarkable deal that will see the Egyptian international paid only £1,000 a week. The 26-year-old, who had troubles keeping his weight down during his time at Tottenham, has only one goal in 11 league appearances for Zamalek in the Egyptian league this season.

West Ham's co-owner David Sullivan said: "We simply can't afford Keane. Of course, we'd have liked him But it would have worked out at £105,000 a week, as well as a transfer fee. Mido doesn't want to be known as a 'has-been' of English football, so he is willing to play for a nominal fee, just £1,000-a-week. He is a rich boy and told us he doesn't need the money, but he wants to prove something in English football. He is desperate to show people here what he can do."

Ilan, who has three caps for Brazil, comes with a history of goals but also causing trouble. He was frozen out of St Etienne last month after a training ground fight with team-mate Yohan Benalouane. The French side cancelled his contract and he has agreed a deal at West Ham until 2012. West Ham also completed the £2.5m signing of McCarthy from Blackburn on a two-and-a half-year deal.