Irish football legend Robbie Keane brought the curtain down on over two decades as a player on Wednesday saying his career had exceeded all his hopes when he was a "football-mad boy growing up in Dublin".

The 38-year-old -- his country's record goalscorer on 68 well clear of Niall Quinn who is next with 21 -- is to focus on his new duties as assistant manager to new Ireland handler Mick McCarthy.