Republic of Ireland international Richard Keogh has been awarded £2.3m in compensation following a long-running breach of contract case against former employers Derby County.
The 34 year-old, who currently plays for Huddersfield Town, was sacked by Derby in October 2019 for 'gross misconduct' after Keogh has seriously injured knee ligaments following a car crash involving his teammates Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett, who currently plays for Millwall.
Keogh was in Lawrence's car following a team-bonding session in September 2019, with Lawrence driving over the drink-driving limit. Welsh international Lawrence was following behind Bennett, who was also over the drink-driving limit.
As Bennett halted at a give-way line, Lawrence careered into the back of Bennett's car before crashing into a lamppost. Both Lawrence and Bennett subsequently fled the scene of the incident without injury, with Keogh left unconscious in Lawrence's car.
Both Lawrence and Bennett were found guilty of drink-driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident, but they continued to play for Derby in spite of their criminal convictions.
With Richard Keogh's injuries ruling him out of action for up to a year, Derby told the defender that he could see out the remainder of his contract, which at the time was worth £24,000-a-week and expired in June 2021. However, the club's hierarchy said that Keogh could only remain at the club if he took a substantial pay cut. When he refused, he was dismissed.
Keogh subsequently went to the EFL’s Player Related Dispute Commission, where he won a full payout. Derby County then decided to contest the decision at the League Appeals’ Committee.
Due to the pandemic, the process of appeals had been delayed, but last week, the League Appeals' Committee upheld the original verdict, with Keogh receiving over £2m in compensation.
The EFL today issued a statement about the verdict:
“The LAC has heard and dismissed an appeal under the regulations of the EFL by Derby County against the decision of the PRDC in the case of Richard Keogh.
"The PDRC held that Mr Richard Keogh had not committed gross misconduct, that he had not brought the club into serious disrepute and that he had been wrongly dismissed by the club.”
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