Former Celtic player Robbie Keane has spoken out in defence of his decision to finish last season as manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv.

After just one season in charge, the former Ireland internationalist won the Israeli league by 11 points in his debut season, likewise clinching the league cup and reaching the last 16 of the UEFA Conference League.

But his decision to stay on in his position as manager following Israel's invasion of Gaza on October 7 last year drew "widespread criticism", according to the Irish Independent.

In defence of his choice to do so, Keane told Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast (via the Irish Independent) that he felt he had a duty of care to his staff.

He said: "Let’s make it clear, obviously there has been a lot of stuff going on. I resigned at the end of the season from my post at Maccabi Tel Aviv. When it did happen [the invasion], we left [the country], but I have five staff, I have a lot of foreign players who rely on me as their coach.

"We were winning the league, hadn’t won it in three years, we were in Europe and doing very well. My analyst for example, he has got a mortgage, a family and kids he has to feed. The decision just to step away from something, it’s not just my decision, it’s everybody else's decision, which was tough.

"Let’s make it clear, what is happening is terrible and nobody wants to see it. Hopefully it ends very, very soon. But at the end of the day, I’m a football manager and my staff have got people to look after. I have got a duty of care.

"I had players calling me, ‘please don’t leave coach, don’t leave, what you have done for this club’, so I made the decision to stay until the end of the season and walk away from a big contract, another year, possibly two more years. We made that decision as a group and as a staff.

"But to go and win the league and to win the double, nobody can ever take that away from me."

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As a player, Keane joined Celtic in the January transfer window of 2010, during what was ultimately a forgettable season for the club.

Despite only featuring 15 times for Celtic, the Irishman's 16 goals across all competitions – 12 in the league alone – saw him win the fan-voted Player of the Year.

Tony Mowbray, who brought Keane to the club, was sacked before the end of the trophy-less 2009/10 campaign, after which Keane left in the summer of 2010.

As Tel Aviv manager, Keane helped the side finish 11 points ahead of Maccabi Haifa. Winning the league cup netted Tel Aviv a place in this season's Champions League qualifiers.