Keane, 21, has signed with Green Gully in the VPL and is hoping a strong season with the reigning champions will put him in the shop window for the A-League.

But there’s another shop window he has his eye on, as part of former A-League player Neil Emblen’s Olympic squad.  

“It’ll be amazing. London. I’m buzzing but we have to get there first,” Keane told au.fourfourtwo.com.

“A lot of players have been signed on the back of Olympic tournaments though. It’s a big stage.”

The Kiwis have a tricky task to qualify. for the London 2012 event in July/August. Their Olympics destiny will be fought out in March in Fiji – not in New Zealand.

The round-robin tournament over 12 days features the host nation plus American Samoa, Cook Islands, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.

There are two groups, with a semi-final and a final. The winner qualifies for London with the Kiwis and Fijians favourite to make the final.

“Fiji will be difficult at home. They’ll be the team to beat,” he said. “I’ve just got to do my best to hold down the number one jersey.”

The Kiwi version of the Olyroos recently beat Team Wellington 4-2 – a side with a number of regular Phoenix players on show.

And Keane kept two clean sheets against NZFC sides Youngheart and Waitakere.

The signs are promising that the Olympic team can continue the momentum of the All-Whites breakthrough World Cup 2010.

Keane’s family background is unique too. His grandfather is Native American, mother Australian/New Zealand and his father is Kiwi/Romanian.

He grew up on the Central Coast and began playing keeper aged seven. He made the local reps side followed by stints with Northern Spirit and Newcastle United.

At United he met the All-White keeper coach Clint Gosling, who alerted the FA back home in New Zealand.

“Clint spoke to the NZ FA and they came over with their youth coaches and watched me play in the U-14 Friendship Games for NSW Metro,” recalled Keane.

“The keeper coach then picked me for New Zealand youth teams. I’ve made the 20s and now the 23s.

“I’ve always wanted to play in Europe and to be a professional footballer in England, that’d be my ultimate goal.”

He’s hoping the Romanian connection might just help him next time he heads to Europe. In the meantime a huge showcase is tantalizingly close with qualifiers coming up in two months.

Keane has been on the periphery of the game over the last two years with short stints here and there.

At the end of 2010 spent four months trialing in the UK. He had a sniff of a contract at QPR and played five games in the reserves but visa issues (he holds both Australian and NZ passports) scuppered any potential deal.

In  2011 he also trained with Newcastle Jets and  Melbourne Heart over the off-season.

He admitted not having a regular club hasn’t helped his chances but is hoping a consistent season with the VPL champion together with a successful campaign with the Kiwi 23s will give his career a lift-off.

And if he does land an A-League contract, fans may find themselves with a new and unique cult hero.

While players like Mustafa Amini charm A-League fans with his youthful exuberance and kooky hairdos, Keane is built like a bad ass front rower at 191cm and 104kgs.

But despite an imposing presence - Keane is into hardcore death metal and tattoos - he is a polite and softly spoken individual.  

“Metallica’s too soft!” he joked.

*In other news VPL golden boot Richie Cardozo is currently on trial in Austria.

Follow me on Twitter @Aidothejourno