Everton's Michael Keane speaks on goalscoring, Thierno Barry's form and returning to Manchester United
Centre-half Derek Mountfield netted 14 goals in Everton’s most-successful season of 1984/85, including 10 in league games alone. And while Michael Keane isn’t at those levels, he’s one of the best in the business in contemporary football.
The 32-year-old is a model professional who will never give any manager a hint of a problem when it comes to his conduct and is someone who is always articulate and candid when you interview him.
Ahead of Everton’s previous game against Manchester United in the Premier League Summer Series, he spoke to this correspondent in the concourse of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium when I was late for the main press conference after getting stuck in Atlanta traffic en route, and you don’t take courtesies like that for granted in this profession.
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When Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall opened up on Everton’s 24/7 series earlier this month about his love for snooker, he was asked which of his team-mates would make the best referee for a game on the green baize and he replied: “Michael Keane – very level-headed guy... fair.” So, having been through hard times with the Blues, it’s nice to see one of the game’s good guys doing well.
Tipped off by Everton’s official statistician Gavin Buckland, I arrive at Finch Farm armed with a piece of paper that shows that over the past five years (since 2020/21), when it comes to Premier League goals by defenders, only Gabriel Magalhaes (18) can now top Keane’s figure of 13 after he netted against Fulham last time out.
As honest as the day is long, when I asked him about that ‘header’ in the post-match mixed zone at Hill Dickinson Stadium, he admitted it was actually: “a great shoulder.”
Premier League goals from defenders since 2020/21 from Opta analyst
Premier League goals from defenders since 2020/21 from Opta analyst
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They all count, though, and Keane’s 13th goal in this period, he is now ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabian Schar and Virgil van Dijk who are all on a dozen. What is also telling is that the Blues ace (113) has played fewer games than them (166, 155 and 155 respectively).
Ahead of this weekend, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that Gabriel (who for the record has played 171 games in the selected timescale, some 58 more than Keane) is now out for weeks after picking up an injury playing for Brazil, so perhaps the Everton man could move closer to his total?
Regardless, though, whereas Gabriel has averaged a goal every nine-and-a-half matches since 2020, the Stockport-born player’s figures place him at one every 8.69 fixtures.
Keane said: “I feel like I’ve always been a threat in front of goal, but I think the last three or four years I’ve got more opportunities to score and showed it a bit better. I feel like a lot of my goals have come in the last few years, whereas when I first came here, I still had the ability, but I don’t know why, I just wasn’t getting in the positions or getting in the chances, but it’s good company and hopefully I can add to that.
“I started out in central midfield and I was kind of like a goalscoring midfielder when I was young and my (twin) brother Will was a striker. I had a bit of time out on the wings when I was playing at school, but when I went to Manchester United, they quickly moved me to centre-back.”
He added: “I think there is an emphasis on all of us to chip in. Not just because the strikers have not been scoring but when you want to push up the table, I don’t think you can just rely on just the strikers scoring goals.
“I think goals have to come from all over the pitch. With players like Jack (Grealish) in the team, we get a lot of free-kicks these days and corners, so that gives more opportunities for others, including defenders like myself, to get goals.
“It’s good for us. I go up for set plays and expect to score, I expect to get a shot on goal at least.
“I try and play my part, as do the others, and I’m sure the strikers will be looking to do that as well.”
Going into this weekend’s Premier League fixtures, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Danny Welbeck, a former Manchester United team-mate of Keane’s, who saw his penalty saved by Jordan Pickford on the opening day at Hill Dickinson Stadium, and West Ham United’ Callum Wilson, are the only English strikers to have scored more than once in the competition this term.
So, as someone who plays further back but knows where the net is, does the Everton defender think traditional strikers are now a dying breed?
Keane said: “Welbs has done well this season and he’s always been a top player and given chances he’ll always score goals, and probably the same for Callum Wilson, but there are definitely more out there. Ollie Watkins might not have scored the goals he’d have liked so far but he’s a threat and I’m sure they’ll come.
“There are probably fewer of them. I think the game is getting more athletic and a lot of strikers are now more athletic than they are technical but if you look at the best ones in the world, they’re a mixture of both.
“I still think they’re out there and you can definitely find them and I don’t think the typical striker will ever actually die out and not be used, but they are hard to come by and it’s the toughest position on the pitch as you’re expected to score goals. A lot of times you’ve got to develop players and be patient with them and hope that comes.”
While Keane has now netted at both ends in the Blues’ new 52,769 capacity home by the Mersey waterfront, £27million summer signing Thierno Barry is still waiting to break his duck. The French striker received a standing ovation from the home fans when he was substituted against the Cottagers a fortnight ago after what was arguably his most impressive display for David Moyes’ men, so could it be a watershed moment as he looks to find his feet in the Premier League?
Keane said: “I’m sure Thierno really appreciated that from the fans. I think it was great to see him get that reception, he deserved it, I thought he played really well in the game.
“He probably just needs one goal and then he can hopefully go on a run and gain more confidence. You can see the quality that he’s got, it’s just about doing it consistently and getting that first goal will be big for him.”
Everton have only triumphed once at Old Trafford since their 3-0 romp on August 19, 1992, in what was their first-ever Premier League away game, ironically when long-serving Blues boss David Moyes was in charge of Manchester United and Bryan Oviedo netted a late winner on December 4, 2013.
However, Keane insists the Blues don’t feel the weight of history as he returns to the club where he started his career before turning his loan move to Burnley into a permanent switch in January 2015.
He said: “It doesn’t really bother me personally. I don’t think it bothers a lot of people, but it’s not a nice stat and it’s maybe something we can use as motivation to try and change that, but beyond that I don’t think it really has an effect on the game.
“This is an individual game, and we’ll prepare for it in a different way to all the others in the past and we’ve got different players and they have. We have to try and get rid of that stat.
“It’s always special going back to United. I spent a lot of time there when I was younger and grew up there.
“My Dad and all my family grew up as United fans, but it probably gets a bit less and less every year. Obviously when you’re involved in football, I’ve not been a fan of United since I was a young boy, so it is different, but I definitely love playing at Old Trafford and I think most people do.
“It will be a good game for us. We need to play well and give ourselves a chance because they’re definitely beatable.
“I know they’re in better form that what they have been, and it will be tough as they’ve got a lot of top players but so have we. So, if we can put on a good performance, we’ve got a chance.”