A watan Mayu 2012, Will Keane da Harry Kane sun taka matsayin 'yan wasa na England Under-19s a wasan cancantar gasar zakarun nahiyar Turai da Switzerland. A wannan lokaci, kaɗan ne za su yi tsammani cewa Kane ne zai shiga wasan kusa da ƙarshe na FIFA World Cup 2026 da Argentina mako nan — yayin da Keane yake neman sabon ƙungiya.

"Ban taɓa fuskantar wani cikas a wannan lokaci ba," Keane ya shaida wa BBC Sport. "Idan kana ƙarami, baka jin tsoro. Duk kewayar aiki na tana hawa. Na fara buga wa Manchester United a ƙungiyar farko. Mun lashe Youth Cup. Ina yin aiki sosai wa England. Duk yana tashi."

Rauni a gwiwa wanda ya canza komai

A karshen wasan da Switzerland, Keane ya samu rauni mai tsanani a gwiwa. Ba ya buga wasa na watanni 16 — lokaci wanda Kane ya kammala lamuni zuwa Norwich da Leicester kafin ya tabbatar da matsayinsa a ƙungiyar farko ta Tottenham.

"Wannan raunin farko ya zo a lokaci mai mahimmanci," in ji Keane. "Ina da kafa ɗaya a ƙofar. Da dai rauni ya faru shekaru biyu bayan haka, da na kasance ɗan wasa mai tabbas a tawagar. A lokacin da na sami sa, na rasa watanni 16 a wani matakin muhimmanci na canjin daga ƙungiyar ajiye zuwa babbar ƙungiya."

Matsaloli sun ci gaba da tarawa. A watan Fabrairu 2016, Keane ya tsage groin dinsa a wasan FA Cup na Manchester United da Shrewsbury. Wannan rauni ya bude kofa ga Marcus Rashford mai shekaru 17 a lokacin, wanda ya shigo a matsayin maye gurbi a wasan UEFA Europa League da Midtjylland bayan kwana uku, ya ci sau biyu, sannan ya ƙara wani biyu a wasan Premier League da Arsenal.

"Na tafi Amirka don tiyata, na sauka Philadelphia, na kunna wayata kuma na ga ya ci ƙari biyu," Keane ya tuna. Yana da shekara 23, ya fahimci a ranar cewa lokacinsa tare da Manchester United ya ƙare.

Ƙarin bala'i ya jiransa a Hull, inda Keane ya samu rauni na biyu na ACL a wasansa na shida — wanda ya tilasta masa ɓacewa na watanni 14 yayin da ƙungiyar ta sauka. "Ya kashe ni sosai," in ji shi. "Na rasa dukkan kakar, kuma an saukar da mu. Yawancin ƴan ƙarami sun samu motsi mai kyau — Harry Maguire ya tafi Leicester, Andy Robertson Liverpool, Sam Clucas Swansea."

Sabon hanyar tunanin ƙwaƙwalwa

Sai da Keane ya isa Wigan ne ya fuskanci nauyin tunani na waɗannan raunuka masu maimaita. Ya fara aiki tare da masanin ilimin halayyar wasanni wanda ba shi da kwarewa ta baya a ƙwallon ƙafa, yana mai da hankali kan niyyoyin tabbatacce, gani da ido na zuciya, da hanyar da Keane ke kwatanta ta a matsayin ta "ruhaniya" fiye da kome.

"Na so da an samu wannan ina ƙarami, musamman da raunukan da na samu a farkon aiki," in ji shi. "Ina kusa da ƙungiyar farko ta United, sannan rauni ya zo, na yi wasu lamuni a Championship ba tare da kyakkyawan aiki ba, na fara shakkar kaina. Wigan ya tura ni gaba."

Yanzu yana mamakin ko wannan shakkar kai ta ba da gudunmawa ga zagayowar raunuka. "Da ina da hankali mai kyau, wataƙila ɗaya daga cikin waɗancan raunukan masu tsanani ba zai ma faru ba."

Tabbacin Kane — da binciken Keane

Yanzu yana da shekara 33, tare da wasanni 335 na ƙungiyar farko da kuma ƙwallaye 85 a cikin ƙungiyoyi takwas, Keane yana ɗaukar lokaci a Champneys Springs a Leicestershire a matsayin wani ɓangare na sansanin kafin kakar PFA na makonni 12 — shirin da yanzu yake a shekarar sa ta uku, da aka tsara don ba ƴan wasa marasa kwantiragin yanayi mai tsari da kuma fallasa ga ƙungiyoyi.

Yana ci gaba da kasancewa da kwarin gwiwa game da damarsa. "An sami tattaunawa kaɗan. Ina tabbacin sun san ni," in ji shi. Bai yi watsi da yiwuwar ƙara wa caps biyar na ƙungiyar farko ta Republic of Ireland ba, bayan ya wakilci England a ƙungiyoyin matasa kafin ya buga wa Ireland — sabanin hanyar ɗan'uwansa tagwaye Michael.

Idan yana magana game da Kane, Keane yana nuna sha'awa ta halitta. "Yana da tabbas sosai a kan kansa, domin ya yi aiki tuƙuru. Ya san cewa cikakken ɗan wasan gaba ne. Yana iya rasa ɗaya, amma ba zai guje ba. Ba mai girman kai ba ne — yana da wannan kwarin gwiwa wanda ke rarrabe manyan ƴan wasa."

Yayin da Kane yake shirya fuskantar Argentina a wasan kusa da ƙarshe na FIFA World Cup 2026, Keane yana zana dawowansa cikin nutsuwa — shaida cewa ayyuka guda biyu da suka taɓa gudana a layi ɗaya na iya ƙarewa a wurare daban-daban sosai.