I'm Keane on you: Robbie Keane has talked up Morten Rasmussen's Celtic future.
Robbie Keane has praised fellow striker Morten Rasmussen and said he has been impressed with the Dane's all-round game. His words will provide a boost to Rasmussen as he settles in at Celtic Park, coming from an experienced player who counts Jermaine Defoe, Fernando Torres and Christian Vieri as among just some of his former strike partners.
Rasmussen, who signed from Brondby in January, has found first team chances hard to come by since his move but has impressed, making his first SPL start in Sunday’s 2-0 win at Falkirk.
The Dane has scored twice in his five appearances, three of which have been from the substitute’s bench, and has shown signs of his ability to lead the Celtic line in the absence of Keane next season when the on-loan striker returns to Tottenham Hotspur.
Having partnered Rasmussen from the start for the first time in the win at Westfield, Keane was impressed with his work-rate and feels he could strike up a formidable partnership between now and the end of the campaign.
"He's very good," Keane told the Celtic View. "He's only 25 and is still learning the game. He's a young lad but I've been impressed so far with what I've seen.
"I played with him in the second half of the Dunfermline game when I scored the penalty and I think we did really well together. We linked up quite well and he was the one who put me through to get the spot-kick.
"He's strong and, although he's not overly-tall, he's not small either. He's very good in the air so I think he has a good future ahead of him. And he's obviously a goalscorer, he plays very high up, plays on the shoulders of defenders and links play well."
Despite Celtic’s league challenge looking dead in the water after they slipped 13 points off the pace on Tuesday night, courtesy of Rangers’ win at Kilmarnock, Rasmussen himself is unwilling to give up the fight.
"We must look in each other's eyes and know that we have done the best we could,” said Rasmussen. "We have to win every game and then see how the title is looking - anything can happen in football. Is it hopeless? No.
"We have a lot of games left and an important cup game at the weekend so I don't think so."
The striker also sung the praises of his weekend strike partner Keane and hopes that the experience of playing alongside him between now and the end of the season will benefit him in the long-term.
"I do my best in training so I was pleased to start,” Rasmussen said. “It was nice to play with a top-class striker, I enjoyed it.
"You learn a lot when you play and train with a good player - but the whole team are good players."
