Richard Keogh wakes up this morning as the former captain of Derby County and a former employee of the club. His contract was ripped up after he refused to take a major pay cut as he rehabs after suffering major knee injuries suffered as a passenger in an accident involving teammates Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett having drank and drove after a team bonding night.
While Keogh finds himself without a club, Lawrence and Bennett are back in the Derby first team. Is there a double standard at play here? Keogh - as many have pointed out on social media - is 33 and out for injured for another year. Willams and Bennett are in their 20s.
It was interesting to see some Ireland internationals chime in on the decision on Twitter last night. Harry Arter announced his confusion with the decision, and former Derby player Jeff Hendrick agreed.
Agree. Talk about kicking a man(the captain) while he is down instead of helping him trough this physically and mentally tough time https://t.co/R9V7CKmT9L
— Jeff Hendrick (@JeffHendrick92) October 30, 2019
Williams and Bennett, who drank and drove, were arrested, given community service and fined six weeks wages are now back playing football. Keogh, who did not drink and drive, is now unemployed and his career may be over. While Keogh must accept responsibility for what happened to him, it does seem unfair that Williams and Bennett should not suffer a similiar sanction.
It willl be interesting if social media outcry will force Derby to take further action.
