At 28, most Championship footballers are either trying to gain promotion into the premiership or avoiding relegation into League One. Most footballers that is, not Andy Keogh.
The Republic of Ireland international rejected offers to stay in the Championship in favour of a move Down Under, where the striker has joined Perth Glory on a two-year deal.
Dublin-born Keogh started his football career at Leeds United, in a turbulent period for the club where they were relegated from the Premier League and saw a mass exodus of star players, teetering on the edge of existence.
Struggling to break into the first team, Keogh was loaned out to lower league sides Scunthorpe United and Bury.
A permanent move to Scunthorpe United followed, where the youngster under the stewardship of Brian Laws and later Nigel Adkins formed a terrorising strike partnership with fellow youngster Billy Sharp. The two scored 38 league goals between them in the 2005-06 League One campaign, including a FA Cup strike from Keogh away to Manchester City. This hot run of form attracted the attention of many Championship clubs, and in January 2007 the 20-year-old was signed by fellow Irishman Mick McCarthy on a three-and-a-half year deal at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
At Wolves, Keogh started off brightly, scoring five times in his opening 17 games as his good form earned him his first international call up in March 2007. The Irishman went on to play the role of back-up striker to the partnership of Sylvain Ebanks-Blake and Chris Iwelumo, as Wolves celebrated promotion into the Premier League in May 2009.
This role would also be emulated on the international scene, where the good form of Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle, as well as the emergence of Shane Long, kept Keogh on the fringes of the squad. He mainly appeared of the bench despite scoring the first goal of the Giovanni Trapattoni era in a friendly against Serbia in May 2008.
Life in the Premier League started off well for Keogh as he scored Wolves’ first goal back in the top flight in a 1-0 away victory over Wigan Athletic in August 2009. However that would prove to be his only Premier League goal as the signing of international teammate Doyle coupled with the return from injury of both Ebanks-Blake and Iwelumo and a lengthy injury lay off for Keogh himself, restricted him to just 13 league appearances that season.
The signing of Steven Fletcher prompted Keogh to seek a move away from Molineux, with the promotion-chasing Cardiff City securing a loan deal for the forward. However the presence of Jay Bothroyd, Michael Chopra, Chris Burke and Craig Bellamy up front saw Keogh struggle to earn a starting birth with the Bluebirds.
Another loan spell, this time at Bristol City, was prematurely cut short by a back injury before he was again sent out on loan to former side Leeds United at the beginning of the 2011-12 season.
Used mainly out wide at Elland Road, Keogh did not impress enough to earn a long-team deal despite his willingness to sign for his former club on a permanent basis. On the last of the 2012 January transfer window, Keogh was sold by Wolves to Milwall on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
His Milwall career got off to an impressive start as he formed a formidable partnership with Tottenham loanee Harry Kane, scoring 10 times in 18 league games for Kenny Jackett’s men. However a loss of form as well as an increase in competition for places up front, which included the arrival of Aussie Scott McDonald, saw his starting position taken. In the meantime, he did manage to grab a consolation strike for Ireland in their 6-1 trashing at the hands of Germany in a World Cup Qualifier in October 2012.
A loan move to Blackpool in January 2014 provided temporary relief as his three goals in 14 league appearances did enough to keep Blackpool in the Championship. Despite this, the financially-stricken club decided against a long-term deal and Keogh was released by Milwall this May.
Despite offers from various Championship and League One sides, the Irishman needed a change of scenery. Perth Glory were in the hunt for a new striker to replace Shane Smeltz and Keogh was the ideal candidate for this position, with an impressive CV as well as having family living in Perth.
Glory manager Kenny Lowe made signing the Irish international a priority for the club and in late May Keogh signed-on.
Three goals in two FFA Cup Games, including a brace against the Jets, as well as a host of other strikes in pre-season friendlies have many Glory fans hoping that the former Wolves man can spark a wave of optimism around the club which has so far underachieved in the A-League era.
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