Robbie Keane once knocked Edgar Davids the hell out in training

I don’t usually share anecdotes about players from bygone ears as there’s often so much more important things to talk about. But it’s a slow Monday, we’re still recovering from the churn of the January transfer window, and frankly this is just awesome.

Former Tottenham academy product and now football pundit Jamie O’Hara was on TalkSport today during Alan Brazil’s show to discuss a number of things football related, but he also had some fun stories about his years in the Tottenham organization. The story he told on the radio was one that I’d never heard before — apparently Edgar Davids got a little mouthy with Robbie Keane in training just after the Dutchman arrived into the Tottenham squad, and Keano responded by decking him.

Damn!

“I’ll tell you who had a bit about him, was Robbie Keane.

“Now I remember a story between him and Edgar Davids and I hope he don’t mind my saying this. I remember we was at training, and Edgar Davids had come in on loan from Milan or somewhere, and he thought he was the bee’s knees. He was the main man, he was the guy and all that, but everyone knew that Robbie Keane was the guy at Tottenham at that time.

“I remember him giving it to him or something to Keano in training and they was having a barney, and I think [Davids] tried to step to Robbie Keane and say something. Keano just barged him, just BOSH.”

“He didn’t have his glasses on, did he? ‘Cause he shouldn’t do that.”

“I don’t know if he had the glasses on or not, but he just went BANG, one punch. Gone. And then Davids just picked himself up, walked off... and that was it. And the next day he was just ‘Morning, Robbie,” and he knew, right?

“Nobody messes with Keano. If he was switched, he’d put you right out.”

Boy howdy, I love this story. Not only is it a training ground clash between two extremely strong personalities, but two players that are still beloved by Tottenham fans today. And obviously it didn’t affect their personal relationship at all, since by all accounts Davids and Keane still get along pretty well. There are a couple of details lost to the mists of time; O’Hara talks about Davids arriving on loan from Milan when I think it was a permanent transfer, but honestly, who cares — ROBBIE KEAN ONCE PUT AN IRISH HAYMAKER ON EDGAR DAVIDS LOOOOOL

I’m laughing just thinking about it. Go on, Keano.