Keogh ready to give all for the cause

When Giovanni Trapattoni named his final 23-man squad for last summer’s European Championships and Andy Keogh’s name was nowhere on it, the Dubliner feared for his international career after 23 caps and at just 26 years of age.

Though he had scored the first ever goal of The Trap Era, a sublime equaliser in the Italian’s opening match against Serbia in Dublin, snapshots of the likeable Keogh in the green jersey had become collectors’ items as the years ticked by.

Yet, Keogh has regularly been one of those players name-checked in press conferences by Trapattoni during his time in charge and he was duly recalled for August’s friendly against Serbia in Belgrade where he featured for 21 minutes.