Town are close to signing veteran centre-half Richard Keogh from Blackpool.

We understand the deal to sign Keogh, who is 36 on Thursday and who will come into the squad as experienced cover, is not yet completed but should be done today ahead of this evening's game against Colchester. The former Republic of Ireland international, who is at the club this morning, will sign a one-year contract.

Essex-born Keogh was at Playford Road as an academy player and was a ballboy before being released and moving on to Stoke City’s youth set-up in 2003.

He spent a spell with Icelandic side Vikingur on loan and having failed to break into the first team with the Potters moved on to Bristol City in 2005.

Loan stints with Wycombe, Huddersfield, Carlisle and Cheltenham followed before he joined the Cumbrians on a permanent basis in 2008.

Two years with Coventry followed from 2010 before a seven-year spell with Derby County, where he was skipper and played alongside Blues first-team coach Lee Grant, which ended acrimoniously when he was sacked following the car crash which led to former Blues loanee Tom Lawrence being found guilty of drink-driving.

Keogh, who suffered a knee injury in the accident which sidelined him for 15 months, eventually won an employment tribunal which deemed that he had been unfairly dismissed and Derby were ordered to pay £2.3 million in compensation.

TWTD revealed that Keogh, who was capped 26 times by the Republic of Ireland, scoring once, was interesting the Blues in the summer of 2020 after his Rams exit but he eventually joined the MK Dons.

After six months he moved on to Huddersfield and then last summer to Blackpool with whom he made 28 starts and three sub appearances in 2021/22. He has missed both the Seasiders' opening fixtures with a groin injury, suffered in a pre-season friendly against Everton.

We understand the move is a deal the Blues have been working on for a while - it's believe two offers were turned down - with Keogh set to come in in purely a playing role with no involvement in coaching despite speculation along those lines.

Keogh's signing would mean Town would have five senior centre-halves, adding to Janoi Donacien, George Edmundson, Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess with youngster Corrie Ndaba also part of the squad, although now free to make a move out on loan.

Photo: Action Images

Bazza8564 added 11:37 - Aug 9 Fair enough, Cover when you play 3CB is sensible
2

andysteed007 added 11:38 - Aug 9 Don't get this one why block a chance for are younger players to get a chance so we sign a 35 year old
8

Wooly74 added 11:39 - Aug 9 WTF
1

ollie_smith2001 added 11:40 - Aug 9 Andy steed I'd assume this will allow Ndaba to go out on loan and get games. He's 5th choice here so not going to get much of a look in outside of cup games
15

micky_1560 added 11:41 - Aug 9 Seems strange to me, surely we have enough cover to move players around for the odd game. I can understand the young players going out on loan to get them playing week in, week out.
1

blues1 added 11:46 - Aug 9 Andysteed007. Ndaba is going to go out on loan regardless of whether we sign him or not. So this makes sense. Will be experienced cover should we get injuries,suspensions, and save us having to use players from other positions as cover. It being a one year deal ,according to the eadt, not the 2 years stated here, means he's blocking nobody, as when ndaba comes back he'll have got that season in this lge at cb . So a step up for him from where he was last season and thrn ready for us, whatever division we are in.

6

Ipswichbusiness added 11:47 - Aug 9 I'm baffled. If there was one position in which we didn't need reinforcement it's centre-back
7

BobbyBell added 11:47 - Aug 9 I see this as a very sensible move. It won't have cost much and he has vast experience. Defenders do tend to get cards and eventually suspensions and also it leaves us prepared in case of injuries. We don't want to be doing a panic deal later if we can get decent cover now. He may not be involved in coaching but his experience will be helpful.
14

BlueBlood90 added 11:48 - Aug 9 Seems a smart move to me. Ndaba will learn far more from playing week in ,week out on loan somewhere than being back up here. He will come back a far better player for it and Keogh would add experience and leadership qualities during his absence.
15

Len_Brennan added 11:50 - Aug 9 He's a good player, has had a decent career & I get that he will bring good organisation & experience to the team, but I'm surprised by this one. Woolfenden & Edmundson are still quite young I suppose, but Janoi Donacien is late 20s now, so it's not like we are playing kids at center back. I would like to see Corrie Ndaba getting a run of games this season, starting with the cups & then with injuries & suspensions, but that looks a lot less likely now. 36 is not too old for center halves, particularly for ones like Keogh whose game was never based on pace, so I think he'll certainly be capable of doing a job for us & I'll welcome him if/when he signs.

11

henryblue added 11:51 - Aug 9 Marcus Evans? Is that you?
-6

JaySwitch added 11:53 - Aug 9 TWTD Understands 🤣
-8

bluelodgeblue added 11:53 - Aug 9 Good player, tremendous experience and maybe enables the town to have a proper crack at some cups?
4

bluered26 added 11:53 - Aug 9 cover and experience ...good business. Would have been a quality signing even in the championship a few years back.Clearly not that player anymore but is what it is
4

irishtim added 11:55 - Aug 9 Could Be Our Tony Mowbary of 2022. Experience. Gives Ndaba a chance to get more experience on loan. Good move imo.
9

blueoxford added 11:55 - Aug 9 Does this mean one of Burgess, Edmundson or Woolfy are off? Surely there's not room for the three of them plus Keogh…
-9

Bergholtblue added 11:59 - Aug 9 Shamefully made a scapegoat in the Tom Lawrence drink driving affair, he was on high wages and was going to be out for 15 months with the ankle injury he sustained. A very good defender then I just hope he is now over that injury. If so he will provide a lot of experience and will help bring the youngsters on.
3

blues1 added 12:01 - Aug 9 Blue Oxford. No it means ndaba is going out on loan. Where hwvexu been the last fewzweeks when it's been made know that. So this makes sense
0

blues1 added 12:03 - Aug 9 Len brennan. Nadaba is going out on loan, so hexwouldnt be getting games here anyway. Therefore this will be experienced cover rather than having to play others out of position should weight injuries, suspensions or loss of form from our regular cbs
0

Bazza8564 added 12:05 - Aug 9 So Baggot is on loan, Saturday Ndaba was injured and Wolfy Ill, we had NO cover! How can this be a bad thing just for contingencies?
15

Essexnblue added 12:05 - Aug 9 Having seen Ndaba twice this season its obvious that he needs games via a loan, as he was poor and hoplelessly exposed on both occasions and based on those performances, this guy will not only provide cover but may also challenge for a start as he is decent and very experienced.
3

ChrisFelix added 12:12 - Aug 9 This was a typical signing of our Evans ownership. However the club has moved on & I can't see any reason why we need another "past it " defender. Maybe he can score goals
2

NorthStandOracle added 12:13 - Aug 9 Woolfie off to Leicester in part exchange for Hirst
-7

shefki86 added 12:18 - Aug 9 Strange one for me, even with a couple of injuries I think we'd be more than covered
2

blues1 added 12:19 - Aug 9 NorthStandOracle. Laughable. Ndabas going on loan. Its that simple
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls