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

Dissboyitfc added 13:44 - Aug 9 And some will disagree and run the club down for every decision that is made. When the signing is made Kieron will explain his thinking Behind this! Everyone is entitled to an opinion but there are some who moan all the time, when in actual fact there has been some good stuff happening and nothing is mentioned!
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Monkey_Blue added 13:55 - Aug 9 I'm fully on board with KMC but Ndaba is of an age and level where he can and should be the cover at least. Nothing against Keogh but given the players we've got I don't understand this move if it shoves Ndaba out on loan or pushes him further away from the first team.
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ArnieM added 14:00 - Aug 9 I'd say this is a very astute signing . He's bringing in a wealth if rxieritt et nice gif out young defenders to learn from , and at this level is very good cover.
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blues1 added 14:00 - Aug 9 Monkeyblue. Dont totally disagree but ndaba needs regular football this season, and at cb. Apparently he played lb most of his time at salford. So another year on loan I think would be the ideal for him. Rather than just being cover here. Hopefully then, next season he'll be ready to play regularly here.
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churchmans added 14:09 - Aug 9 Might as well of kept Chambers ffs!! Last season when edmunson was injured it was a worry! But cam burgess stepped in and it was like we did not miss edmunson cam was that good! I hope keough is strictly for cover and if any injuries to cb's cam burgess should get the nod! In my opinion cam burgess is just as good as any cb we already got! We shall soon find out! I suppose it makes sense if we have a couple out through injuries

1

chepstowblue added 14:14 - Aug 9 Peculiar. I hope the manager can explain this one, because nobody on here is making any sense trying to justify it !!
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bbg added 14:17 - Aug 9 Very good CB who the other players can learn from. Good option for the middle of the 3, Has presence and good with the ball. At this stage there might be questions about his pace if playing a high line but no doubt the manager has his homework done.
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churchmans added 14:20 - Aug 9 Exactly Chepstow! I shudder of the thought at a comment that was made on a wassapp group I'm on that he makes our youngsters take him in to town get them pissed and make them drive him home! Which is what happened at Derby! Bad proffesionalism in my opinion!
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Carberry added 14:42 - Aug 9 Doesn't fit the McKenna philosophy does he? Are we paying a fee for him? And he's injured. Davis can also play centre half can't he? Sounds like a mates deal something we all hoped we had left behind.
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mathiemagic added 14:47 - Aug 9 Rather keep Ndaba than this over the hill reject. Oh and didn't we just get rid of one drink drive liability ?
0

blueboy1981 added 14:53 - Aug 9 Dissboyitfc …. and there needs to be some ‘good stuff' too - to escape from this Dire Third Division. Talk has been going on long enough, yes, season after season, Manager after Manager - and we are STILL a Mid Table Division 3 Club. Giving an opinion different to what the Club / Manager does, is seen by some as moaning - IT IS NOT !!! Fact is some strange decisions are afoot it seems i.e potentially bringing in a Veteran Defender (albeit a Good Player in his day) - when we are desperate fot a Goalscorer / Striker, and all that surrounds that. Chances are, if Keogh comes and plays, he will clear his lines all day long, but be as easily turned as Chambers was towards the end - and look at the criticism he got for that. Of course, McK should know more and better than any of us - BUT the answer to that will be known to us all in May 2023 - whatever our ‘opinions' or ‘moaning' as you put it. I genuinely hope he 100% proves us wrong to question …. !!! Time will Tell as always !!

2

algarvefan added 15:06 - Aug 9 Let's not be too harsh on the club, he has always been a good solid no nonsense defender (we should have never sold James Wilson) so welcome to the club but hope we don't have to use you too often.
2

martin587 added 15:08 - Aug 9 As you say chaps everybody who supports our club is entitled to an opinion.But the guy hasn't signed yet and we don't know the reason behind this if in fact it goes though so let's just be patient and see what transpires.
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aas1010 added 15:18 - Aug 9 Why??????? Need a striker !!
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dirtydingusmagee added 15:26 - Aug 9 didnt see anything like this on the radar ,but im not the manager or even a manager [there are plenty on here without me lol ], im sure this has been thought out , and thats fair enough by me, Keogh has been a good player, and although cant see him getting much game time now, he must fit in KMs puzzle somehow, . Im more concerned about our firepower to be honest .

1

Suffolkboy added 15:48 - Aug 9 KM knows his business inside out ; if this has been in the planning then that is it – it's been a planned exercise and undoubtedly with purpose in mind ! SO we're all speculating but will soon know ,for KM won't dodge the questions when they come ! COYB
1

Linkboy13 added 15:56 - Aug 9 Strange one this but im not going to criticise McKenna unless it all goes wrong. As for restricting the chances of our youngsters that's just ridiculous. Our youngsters will be given a chance when they are good enough unless you want to play in the National league. If we took that attitude we would never sign any players. The problem at the moment we are not producing outstanding youngsters that can go straight into the first team like we did in Bobby Robson's era good ones yes but not outstanding.

1

blues1 added 15:58 - Aug 9 Mathiemagic. Cant even get ur facts ts right. Keogh hasn't been dine for drink driving. He was a passenger in that car.
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Linkboy13 added 16:14 - Aug 9 Played 29 league games for Blackpool in the championship last season which according to my limited knowledge is quite a bit better than league one just not a sexy signing that fans like.
3

dezb added 16:17 - Aug 9 A strange number of comments saying "we need a striker!!!" when this signing has zero impact on that! We play 3 at the back, we therefore need 5 CBs on the books. Better Ndaba gets 30 - 40 games on loan than occasionally making a match day squad or being thrown in every 2 months as a last resort. Blackpool fans seem very disappointed to lose him, that's always a good sign!

2

ipswichdave added 16:27 - Aug 9 Really Really hate to be negative but we don't need him.
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Countryboyblue added 16:27 - Aug 9 This is exactly the signing we need right now. A true leader to help our young ones. Another Tony Mowbray! Great work from all involved.
2

Essexipswichboy added 16:34 - Aug 9 This is stupid Ndaba going out on loan again What more can the boy do? All last season on loan in 1 league lower Gets club player of the year What message does this send out THE WRONG MESSAGE
1

Carberry added 16:37 - Aug 9 So we are signing the guy who as club captain at Derby went out with young players, got drunk with them, allowed them to drive and got in a car with them. His knee was so badly injured in the accident that followed he was out for a year. Great character to support our youngsters. No thanks.
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TimmyH added 16:43 - Aug 9 1 year contract...okay, but a wee bit surprised by this one. You can use the experience point of view over and over as he's going to be 36, I saw him in a game for Blackpool last season and to say his legs have gone was an understatement.
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