You'll Never Walk Alone

Former Liverpool player Mark Lawrenson has apologised for sparking speculation Robbie Keane is to leave Anfield in January.

Lawrenson, now a media pundit, implied that Steven Gerrard had told him he expected the Irishman to leave once the transfer window opens in the new year.

Liverpool moved quickly to deny that claim, issuing a statement that the comments were an "interpretation of a private chat between the two of them" and that "they do not accurately reflect Steven's opinion of Robbie Keane and they certainly do not tally with Steven's recollection of the conversation itself."

And now Lawrenson has backtracked on his comments.

He told the Liverpool Daily Post: "I'm sorry if it caused any aggravation but it wasn't meant to. Steven Gerrard's name should never have come up in terms of Robbie Keane going in January. It wasn't Steven saying that it was me saying it.

"The only connection I was making between the two was that they have the same agent and I have had a hunch for a while that Keane could go.

"But that is my opinion and nothing whatsoever to do with any conversations I had with Steven Gerrard.

"I happened to mention I spoke to him on Saturday night but I didn't mean for that to come across in the way that it has been interpreted."

Since joining Liverpool for £20.3 million from Tottenham in the summer, Keane has struggled to make an impact, scoring just four goals in all competitions and not even making it off the bench in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Hull.

He has been linked with a move back to his former club Spurs, a rumour Lawrenson's initial comments on an Irish radio station only served to fuel.

Lawrenson told Today FM: "I hate to name drop. But I was having a drink with (Steven) Gerrard on Saturday and we talked about Keane.

"They share the same agent [Struan Marshall] and quite honestly he thinks something is going to happen with Keane in January. Sounds like he could be moved on."