Leeds United interim manager Sam Allardyce confirmed that Robbie Keane will join his backroom staff as he hailed the former Whites star for his influence behind the scenes.
Allardyce has just four games left this season to try and keep Leeds out of the bottom three come the full-time whistle at Elland Road on May 28. The home game against Tottenham Hotspur will be the last after the Whites also take on Manchester City, Newcastle United and West Ham United before then.
Javi Gracia's time at West Yorkshire was called short after a 4-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday ensured that Leeds had conceded a staggering 23 goals in April. The former Watford boss took charge of a total of 12 matches during his tenure, winning on three occasions against Southampton, Wolves and Nottingham Forest.
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Ahead of the trip to the Etihad Stadium this weekend, Allardyce put an end to the growing rumours that Keane was due to be in the dugout for the match after the 68-year-old confirmed that the former Leeds man will be part of the set-up for the game.
The interim coach admitted that he had only called Keane this morning, but that he had already packed his bags and made his way up to Thorp Arch by the afternoon.
When asked about Keane, Allardyce said: "Well, trying to shut him up in the first place is the first thing - he never stops talking!
"I've known Robbie for quite a while and we've talked on many occasions about about him getting into coaching and I've worked with him at Soccer Aid a few few times and all that so I really, really liked his personality.
"In my mind [he is here] to come in and give everybody a lift, not not just by his coaching methods for the front men particularly and the strikers, because obviously goals are very important, but also the fact that he is Leeds through and through - he loves the place."
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