Hard work and wise words do trick for crestfallen Keogh

The last time we’d seen Richard Keogh, there were tears coursing down his cheeks on the pitch at Wembley. Yesterday, they had been replaced by rivulets of sweat after a final training session in Malahide just hours before the Ireland squad flew to America.

And for the defender, whose mistake in the Championship play-off final helped QPR through to the Premier League at the expense of Derby County, getting back up into the saddle so quickly with Ireland has been the perfect tonic.

“It’s probably the best thing I could have done,” he said. “Everyone has been great. It’s kind of, ‘forget about it a little bit and concentrate on football’.

“It shows you when you come around this group of guys how good they and the management team are. They fill me with confidence and I’m feeling good.

“We got in late on Monday and the manager had a chat with the Derby boys. He said it was unfortunate what happened but said we still had a fantastic season and that, in the long run, something like that would make me a stronger and a better player. For someone like that to speak that way did a lot for my confidence.”

Outstanding for Derby in recent seasons, it was deeply ironic and unfortunate that it was Keogh who committed the critical error in the last minute of a long campaign, his failure to put his foot through the ball inadvertently setting up Bobby Zamora for a late QPR winner.

“It’s always going to hurt a little bit, I think it’s natural,” he confessed. “Unfortunately, that’s football. I’m just looking forward to pulling on the jersey now and playing for my country. Everyone has been fantastic. I’ve had a lot of nice texts. I can’t let one thing like that mask over how well I’ve done this season.”

Richard Dunne, man of the match for QPR at Wembley, was quick to offer supportive words to an almost inconsolable Keogh at full-time.

“Yeah, I spoke to Dunney, he was great. He just said, listen. he’s been there in his career as well, he’s had some lows and you’ll come back stronger and better. To hear words like that from someone like that obviously means a lot. Even the gaffer and Roy [Keane] have said some really nice things and when people like that say things, it gives you so much confidence.

“You feel on top of world. It was a disappointing end to a good season, really.”

But his season, of course, is not quite over yet, the two games in the States offering the 27-year-old the chance to press a claim for a Euro qualifying place. And, despite his evident torment after that cruel Wembley defeat, he was never going to pass up that opportunity.

“I was always going to be going,” he said. “If he [O’Neill] did give me a choice, I still would have gone. Whenever I get called up, it’s always a very proud moment and I want to play as many games as possible.

“If I get given a chance in America, hopefully I can stake a claim but there is a lot of competition for places.

“It would be fantastic to face up to Ronaldo next week, one of the best — if not the best — players in the world. It’s a great honour to wear the green jersey, but we are just focused on getting a positive result.

“We had a positive result against Italy and we’re looking forward to the two games now. I am excited and ready.”