Robbie Keane inspired his fans and his team

The argument

Beyond his goals, the case for Robbie Keane as Tottenham's greatest striker rests on the inspiration and leadership he brought to the club, qualities that elevate a great goalscorer into a great talisman. Keane was adored by Tottenham supporters, who responded to his evident love for the club, his energy and his trademark cartwheel-and-gun-slinger goal celebration that became an emblem of his time there. He played with a visible passion and commitment that endeared him to the fans and made him, for many, the heartbeat of the team during his years at White Hart Lane, eventually captaining the side. The argument holds that this inspirational quality had real value on the pitch as well as in the stands. A striker who lifts those around him — driving the team forward, leading by example, and raising the spirits and belief of his team-mates — contributes more than the goals recorded against his name. Keane's relentless effort, his willingness to drop deep and create as well as score, and his leadership as captain galvanised the side, and supporters and team-mates alike spoke of the energy and motivation he brought. A forward who can inspire both the crowd and the dressing room is a rare and precious asset. From this standpoint, greatness in a striker is not measured by goals alone but by the totality of what a player gives a club, including the intangible but real capacity to inspire. Keane combined prolific scoring with a galvanising presence that made him beloved and influential beyond the scoresheet. Because Robbie Keane inspired his fans and his team, this argument holds, he is the greatest Tottenham striker of all time.

Premises

Counter-arguments

Critics reply that inspiration and passion, however genuine, speak to popularity and character rather than to the goalscoring quality by which strikers are principally judged. Beloved talismans can rank below more prolific or decisive forwards on that core measure, and on it Keane trails Jimmy Greaves and Harry Kane. They add that expanding "greatest striker" to "the totality of what a player gives a club" redefines the category so broadly that it no longer tracks scoring output — the very thing the title is usually about. On the narrower, standard measure, Keane's inspirational qualities augment a case that others lead.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Being adored and passionate speaks to popularity and character, not to the goalscoring quality by which strikers are principally judged. [Rejecting P3] Redefining "greatest striker" as "the totality of what he gives a club" broadens the category so far that it no longer tracks the scoring output on which Greaves and Kane surpass Keane.