Former Derby County defender opens up on the bond he's created with Blackpool's fans

After making a shaky start to his Blackpool career, the 35-year-old has been an ever-present for the Seasiders and is now one of the first names on the team sheet.

His deliveries certainly haven't gone unnoticed among the Blackpool fans, who love the passion and commitment with which Keogh plays the game.

“They have (taken to me quickly), which is nice," Keogh told The Gazette.

“I think fans can relate to players like myself who give everything and who are passionate.

“It’s just been a really good fit and I’ve really enjoyed my time here so far.

“I knew it was going to take me a bit of time to get going at the start because I came in a bit later in pre-season.

“But me and the manager knew what was the right plan for me and I feel like I’ve got better in every game I’ve played. I’m just enjoying it.

“When you get to the latter stages of your career, you just want to enjoy every moment. Every training session, every game, every win.

“It’s the greatest game in the world to play and I’ve been very lucky to play as many games as I have.

“I just said to myself in the summer that I wanted to go somewhere where I’d enjoy it and somewhere where I could have an impact.

“The fans have been amazing, they’re a credit to the football club. There’s a real identity isn’t there with the club.”

The Seasiders moved up to sixth in the Championship table on Saturday after claiming a magnificent 1-0 win against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Neil Critchley's side have now won three games on the bounce and seven of their last 10.

Pool had to survive large swathes of pressure from the Blades, but they stayed in the game and got their reward late on courtesy of Keshi Anderson's second goal in as many games.

“I said to the lads after the game, these are the games that are the difference between being a really good team and grinding out results. You don’t win games like this without having a really good group," Keogh added.

“We rode our luck at times, but we’re playing against Premier League players. Sheffield United are a very good team, one of the best teams we’ve played so far this season with their movement.

“We defended the box when we needed to but we knew we would get chances and Keshi took his goal well.

“These are the games where you’ve got to stay in the game as long as possible, but we’ve got such togetherness and as the gaffer says, there’s no egos.

“Everyone works so hard for each other, it’s great to see and it’s great to be a part of. It’s infectious.

“There will be games where we’re under the cosh, like we were against Sheffield United given the quality of their players and we understand that.

"But we know we’ve got a really good group and the strength of our group is our togetherness, our hard work and how we prepare.

​Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here