Keogh debut ends in defeat after big win off the field

RICHARD KEOGH suffered defeat on the field last night – but it’s unlikely to have taken the gloss away from a massive win off the park in his dispute with former club Derby County.

Keogh was thrown straight in for a debut with new club Huddersfield after a midweek move from MK Dons brought the 34-year-old back to Championship level, but the visit of Millwall ended in a 1-0 reverse.

However, the veteran will remember this week for the right reasons after he was successful in his appeal against Derby’s controversial decision to sack him in October 2019. Keogh is expected to receive around £2m in compensation.

Derby terminated his contract with immediate effect on the grounds of ‘gross misconduct’ after he suffered a serious injury in a car crash after a club night out.

Keogh – who does not drive – was a back-seat passenger and his team-mates Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett were convicted of drink driving in the aftermath of a boozy evening.

Derby retained Lawrence and Bennett while coming down hard on club captain Keogh with his position of responsibility cited as a reason for that course of action.

Keogh’s position was also complicated by the fact that he was set to spend over a year on the sidelines with a knee injury and he stood his ground when Derby proposed a massive paycut to his £1.3m salary when the deal had almost two years left to run.

Troy Parrott was an unused sub for Millwall last night after a barren run, but U-21 international Danny McNamara kept his place.

Elsewhere, Jayson Molumby showed Preston what he could do with the on-loan Brighton midfielder creating Scott Sinclair’s winner away to Birmingham.