Last week Perth Glory goalkeeper Liam Reddy opened a can of worms by claiming Diego Castro is the A-League’s best ever import.
Sure Castro is amazing, but is he at the level of Thomas Broich and Besart Berisha to name just a few? Possibly not, but it’s an interesting argument.
However, is Castro the Perth Glory import we should be shining a light on? Is Castro the Perth Glory import we should be mentioning in the same sentence as Broich and Berisha? Or is it Andy Keogh?
Keogh is in A-League career best form leading the line for Tony Popovic’s ladder leaders, scoring 12 goals in 19 matches. Only Sydney FC’s Adam Le Fondre has more.
That’s right, he’s in double digits which isn’t at all surprising seeing as he has found the back of the net at least ten times in four of the five seasons he has played.
The only player who has reached double digits more than Keogh is the A-League’s all-time greatest goalscorer Besart Berisha.
Andy Keogh with the Perth Glory
Excluding Kiwis from the list, the only import to score more goals than Keogh’s 52 is again that man Berisha. What’s impressive about the talisman’s knack for finding goals is that he scores most of them from open play.
Only six of his goals have come from the penalty spot. The last time he netted from 12 yards was at the back end of the 2015-16 season in a 2-1 win over Newcastle.
Capped by Ireland 30 times, the 32-year-old is just as good as when he arrived on Australian shores in the 2014-15 season. He scores headers, he scores with his left foot, scores with his right, scores tap-ins, scores screamers but he is more than just a goal scoring striker. He holds the ball up, bringing others into the play, makes himself a nuisance to defenders winning fouls, making tackles, clearances, and interceptions.
Sure he doesn’t have the star power that an Alessandro Del Piero or a Keisuke Honda has. He’s not a world-class player like Ola Toivonen, he hasn’t won the trophies Broich and Berisha has, but something he does have is consistency and longevity.
Keogh has been doing his thing in the A-League for the better part of five years. Sure there are a handful of imports that have played more matches than Perth’s number 9, but out of all of those who can you say is better than Andy Keogh? Again, obviously Berisha and Broich.
Maybe Diego Castro will be considered as the best import in A-League history if he leads his team to a maiden A-League premiership and championship, and maybe another Johnny Warren Medal, but there certainly is the case that it might just be his teammate Andy Keogh instead.
Who knows, maybe if he helps Perth to a maiden double?
Midfielder
Roar Guru
JB ... very very astute observation..
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
I agree that Andy Keogh is underrated. Although he couldn't get near the ball in the game against the Roar despite scoring twice.
Jbinnie
Guest
The average football fan does not appreciate the work Keogh does "off" the ball, but it should be remembered that two of the Socceroos best marksmen (in the public eye), Mclaren and Taggart, cut their back teeth when playing next to Keogh at Perth. Both these players are, to the educated eye, what is termed "poachers", and as such are totally dependent on the work of others when it comes to creating space in where the poacher operates best, close to goal. Keogh excels in this role and to watch him drag defenders out of position is to appreciate something not common in today's game. He is talented in this style of play and when you add to that his "goals for" over the seasons he has been a very worthwhile investment for Perth. Cheers jb.
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Translate into English please.
AGO74
Guest
As much as it pains me to say it I have to agree Berisha is the greatest centre forward in the comps history. Thomas Broich. Best player ever. Ninkovic - not too far behind.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
Keogh is a bit underrated but on the Gliry vs Roar game, he was terrible. Despite scoring 2 goals he just couldn't get bad the ball.
pete4
Guest
Yes Besart Berisha has 5 Grand final wins and over 100 goals it will be some time before another import can surpass that record
Waz
Roar Rookie
Now you’re going down, not up in quality. (Not to mention he was at the Center of the salary cap breach - hardly “greatest ever” stuff)
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Keogh is just getting heaps of chances this season, he has missed plenty certainly no where near as good as when he first went to Perth. Perth have had Castro for a long time, he is no longer the one man show, Perth have done just as well without him. Broich remember came to the A-league at a good age, and Berisha basically spent all his good years in the A-league and is now washed up. It depends what your looking for because Castro if he had come at the same age instead of in his 30's as Berisha he would have been incredible. If Berisha and Broich had come at the same age as Castro they would have been nobodies in A-league history. Ultimately Berisha has made the biggest impact all the championships Brisbane and Melbourne won with him there, even though he is clearly an inferior player who is now washed up at an early age.