Keane Joins Derby On Loan

Manchester United defender joins on loan until January.

Derby County have this afternoon completed the signing of Manchester United central defender Michael Keane on an emergency loan deal until 2nd January 2014.

Head of Football Operations Chris Evans has worked tirelessly during the last 24 hours to secure a deal with the Premier League Champions and the 20-year-old defender will be available for Sunday’s Sky Bet Championship game at Wigan Athletic, subject to clearance from the Football League.

After signing England Under 21 international captain Andre Wisdom on a season-long loan from Liverpool last month, Head Coach Steve McClaren has once again moved to attract one of the country’s top talents to the Rams.

Defender Keane rose through the ranks at Manchester United and was a key figure in the Red Devils’ successful FA Youth Cup-winning team of 2011.

Keane’s form at youth level led him to graduate into United’s reserves, before being rewarded with a first-team debut during the League Cup win at Aldershot Town in 2011.

A consistent campaign saw him voted ‘Reserves Player of the Year’, prior to an England debut in May 2012 at Under-19 level.

He enjoyed an action-packed campaign last season; playing for the Red Devils’ first-team and impressing during a fine loan spell with Leicester City.

Keane started the Capital One Cup ties against Newcastle United and Chelsea for United, but the central defender’s first-team opportunities with the Reds remained limited, so a loan move to Leicester followed.

Despite only spending half a season with the Foxes, his impressive form at the club earned him a place on their three-man shortlist for their Player of the Year award, whilst in May earlier this year, he made his debut for the England Under-21s in a 4-0 win against Austria at Brighton’s American Express Community Stadium.

He has remained in the squad ever since and has scored in his last two England Under 21 matches against Finland and San Marino, helping Gareth Southgate’s side to back-to-back wins in their 2015 European Championships Qualification campaign.