Keogh in MK Dons exit talk
FORMER Derby County captain Richard Keogh is being linked with a move to a Championship club.
The Republic of Ireland international was left out of MK Dons’ 3-0 defeat to Peterborough United on Saturday.
Keogh made over 350 appearances during a sevenyear spell with the Rams, featuring in two Championship play-off finals at Wembley.
He departed the club when his contract was terminated due to gross misconduct after he was involved in a car crash following a team bonding session in September 2019.
Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett, also involved in the incident, both pleaded guilty to drink driving but remained with the club – the latter has since moved to Millwall.
Keogh missed most of 2019-20 because of a serious knee injury suffered in the crash but returned to football when he signed for MK in August last year.
He has made 21 appearances this season but was not involved against Posh and MK manager Russell Martin has confirmed that Keogh is in talks with a Championship side about a move back to the second tier.
Derby, who lost 1-0 to Rotherham United on Saturday, need a centre-back following a season-ending Achilles injury to Curtis Davies.
“Richard is in talks with a Championship club – it’s a surprise to everyone,” Martin told the MK Citizen.
“He expressed a desire to pursue that and we’ve agreed a deal which is very good for someone of his age but disrupting for us, so it’s a blow.
“But when someone expresses a desire to leave, it changes the plan late on.
“We’re being empathetic to someone who wants to go elsewhere and it enables us to invest and replace him.”