Cheltenham Town, Huddersfield, Vikingur [Iceland], Carlisle United – Richard Keogh is off to Euro 2016 and his route there is far from the norm.
The 29-year-old from Harlow became an unlikely hero for Ireland during their European Championships qualifying campaign.
With Ireland depleted through injuries, Keogh stepped up with big performances against Poland, Germany and Bosnia. In France, this summer, he will be pushing for a starting spot in Martin O’Neill’s back four.
Keogh is in play-off action, for Derby County, against Hull City today. 12 seasons after starting off with Stoke City, a run a strong Derby outings could finally see him play in the Premier League.
In Derby’s match programme for the first leg of their semi-final, Keogh, as captain, features in a wide-ranging interview.
One passage from the Q&A sums up how sheer commitment and a commendable mentality has got Keogh to where he is today. He says:
“I feel I have kicked on in the last 12 months and that is something I try to do every single day. I want to do better.
“I am controlling the things I can affect, and while I recognise I am not the best player in the world – far from it – I will always work as hard as possible and leave everything out on the pitch.
“When I do things wrong, I am my own biggest critic. All the best players in the world make mistakes, but it is about how you react to them and that is what I have tried to do.”
Through force of will and a work ethic to make most men blush, Keogh has gone from the fourth tier of English football to mixing it with world champions.
A lesson for all of us, really.
