Michael Appleton on how Blackpool plan to replace Richard Keogh

The 36-year-old left Bloomfield Road last week to sign for League One side Ipswich Town for an undisclosed fee.

While Keogh performed superbly during his one season with the club, he was also praised for his influence away from the pitch as a result of his leadership qualities.

That’s something the Seasiders might look to address, rather than bring in a like-for-like replacement in the same position.

When asked if Pool are on the lookout for another centre-back, Pool’s head coach said: “Maybe, maybe not.

“We’ve got someone who played alongside Marvin (Ekpiteta) in the cup against Barrow on Tuesday night in Jordan Thorniley who was very good and is very reliable.

“I knew Jordan when he went out on loan as well as playing for Blackpool in the past, so he’s more than capable of filling that left-sided role.

“With Hubby (James Husband) coming back, he can do a stint at centre half as well so it’s something we will be open-minded about, but it’s not something we’re in a mad rush to fill.

“We’ve spoken about Keesy moving on to Ipswich – if we do look to fill that void as a person it would be more to do with what he offered off the pitch rather than on the pitch in the early days.

“The squad is reasonably young so someone potentially coming in as a free agent who might need four to six weeks of training might be seen as a negative, but sometimes it can be seen as a positive because you get to have them off the pitch for as long as you need and they can integrate themselves into the squad and give the young players the opportunity to gain from their vast experience.”

Keogh made 31 appearances under Neil Critchley last season and struck up a strong relationship with Ekpiteta.

However, he was keen to make the move to Portman Road to be closer to his family, who are based in Essex.