Real Madrid manager Juande Ramos has slammed Liverpool's decision to let Irish striker Robbie Keane go.

Ramos coached Keane at Tottenham Hotspur and believes that the striker is a top class player who was never given a proper chance at Anfield.

Ramos told The Sun: "[Keane] is a top player and I don't think he did badly at Liverpool. He scored goals and showed he's a team player.

"He's definitely a matchwinner for any club and if he were still at Liverpool, I would be telling my defenders to watch for him.

"When you are a top club playing around 60 matches a season, you don't want to let any of your players go in January unless they have a real desire to go."

Keane rejoined Spurs in the January transfer window on a 12 million pound deal that meant Liverpool made an eight million pound loss within the span of six months.

"It was a lot of money to lose on Robbie over such a short space of time, especially in this market," Ramos continued.

"Let's put it this way: I wouldn't want to lose that amount of money on one player.

"Maybe Liverpool should have kept Robbie until at least the summer to give him more time and try and get the right price for him when there was more time to do so!"

And the former Sevilla and Spurs boss took one final swipe at the English giants when he claimed: "They are a massive European Cup club but the fact is we are bigger - bigger than anybody in this competition,

"Everybody knows about Liverpool's successes but at the same time everybody knows we are the most famous and successful club in Europe.

"For the Real Madrid fans it has been too long since they won the European Cup and with Barcelona so far ahead in La Liga before I arrived maybe this is our best chance of a major trophy this season."