Keogh glad to learn from Bellamy

Andy Keogh is ready to take another step in his football education alongside the much-travelled Craig Bellamy.

The 24-year-old Republic of Ireland international completed a loan move from Wolves to Cardiff on August 27, 10 days after his Wales counterpart had stunned the football world by joining his home-town club on a temporary basis with Manchester City boss Robert Mancini attempting to cope with his embarrassment of riches.

Bellamy, now 31, has enjoyed – and at times, endured – an eventful career to date from his days as a trainee at Norwich via Coventry, Newcastle, Celtic Blackburn, Liverpool and West Ham before winning his £14m switch to City in January last year.

But while there have been scrapes along the way on and off the pitch, none more spectacular than his bust-up with them Magpies’ boss Graeme Souness, there has been little doubting his passion and ability to destroy defences at his best.

Dubliner Keogh may be a different type of player, but he is confident there is plenty he can learn from a man whose experience and quality could prove invaluable to the npower Championship promotion hopefuls.

He said: “Of course there is. You just have to watch him and see how he is.

“I have only had one day’s training, but I am sure there will be a lot I can learn because you don’t play at the highest level like he has and not have something good about you.

“As I said, I have only had one day training and a bit of game-time last Saturday, but I am looking forward to getting into it and training with players of that calibre.

“It can’t do you any harm, training with a top player. He’s a great signing.

“There is a lot of attention, obviously, because of the high profile, and rightly so because there are a lot of good players there.

“We have a great chance of contending to go up there, and that was one of the reasons that made my decision easier.”

Keogh chose to leave Wolves after growing frustrated with the amount of time he was spending on the substitutes’ bench, and the chance to play regularly was his major motivation.

International boss Giovanni Trapattoni has repeatedly bemoaned the number of his players who are not automatic choices for their clubs, although he has grown to accept it as an unavoidable fact.

Keogh, however, has remained part of his plans and having been introduced as a substitute in Friday nights 1-0 Euro 2012 victory in Armenia, will hope for further action against Andorra in Dublin tomorrow night.

For once, Ireland will be overwhelming favourites to win the game, although that creates its own pressure.

Keogh said: “They are going to come and we are expected to beat them, but we have got to stay professional and make sure we don’t give them anything to hang on to because it’s a bit like a cup final for them.

“They are coming to our new stadium to play against us, and we would be a big scalp for them.

“But we just have to stay professional and make sure we close all the doors and do our job properly.”