Benitez on Keane

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insists he sold Robbie Keane back to Spurs for the good of his team. Keane only spent six months at Anfield and did not manage to hold down a regular place in the team. He returned to White Hart Lane in a cut-price deal just before the transfer deadline and immediately vowed to repay the Spurs fans for their support. Benitez said: "Sometimes good players cannot settle down in the team and when this happens you have to consider the situation and try to react quickly. "If it is not good for the team then it is better for everyone to make a decision and because of the situation in the transfer market and for the opportunity for the player we had to do it now. "I have to analyse things and try to look at the bigger picture and this means thinking of the club and the team and what is best for them." Although Keane was not in favour with the Spanish manager, Benitez has made it clear he does not blame the player for the failure of the transfer. He added: "I would like to wish Robbie the best because although things did not work out he has been working hard for us. "He was trying to do his best and the key was that Spurs showed a lot of interest and they were pushing really hard for him. "The player needed to play and he was not doing that as much as he would have liked with us. "But I cannot criticise him in any way because, as I have said, he tried to do his best for us."

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ITN | February 3, 2009

Tags:. .anfield. .repay. .favour. .analyse. .keane