With all the praise for defenders this season, let's give it up for Richard Keogh.
Virgil van Dijk wasted no time in justifying his £75 million pricetag and a similar fee is being touted for Ajax youngster Matthijs de Ligt, with modern defenders' ability to do more than hoof the ball away desired by the world's best managers nowadays.
Step forward Richard Keogh.
Two weeks after being named Derby's Players' Player of the Season, Keogh showed that he too is capable of playing it out from the back with a remarkable performance in the Rams' Championship play-off semi-final second leg on Wednesday night.
With the game at Elland Road looking destined for extra time and potentially penalties, Keogh came storming out of defence and while he may have been heading for the box in the hope of getting his head on a cross, he instead spotted the run from Jack Marriott and repositioned his body to deftly send him through on goal with a perfect first touch through ball.
https://twitter.com/The_W_Address/status/1128772646886367233
The Republic of Ireland international did something similar just after half-time, when he marauded into midfield and fired a pinpoint pass into the feet of Harry Wilson, who proceeded to set up Mason Mount in the first act of a dramatic second 45.
It came as no surprise, then, to see Derby manager Frank Lampard make a beeline for Keogh on the full-time whistle and celebrate with the centre-half, who has been compared to some of the greatest defenders of all time for his performance.
https://twitter.com/DannyJamieson/status/1128769757623312385
https://twitter.com/louorns/status/1128759238233341952
https://twitter.com/mattjp/status/1128759218155266049
https://twitter.com/ScottWeymouth/status/1128759648675299328
https://twitter.com/richardwaddell7/status/1128759719861129216
