Richard Keogh expressed his desire to stay with Derby County for the rest of his career after signing a new three-and-a-half-year contract with the club.
The Derby captain has started every game in the Sky Bet Championship so far this season and he’s been rewarded for his fantastic form for Gary Rowett’s side with a deal that will keep him at the club until at least 2021.
With Keogh having joined the club in 2012 from Coventry City, the contract will take him to within one year of a decade with the Rams, and he has revealed his ambition to finish his playing days at Pride Park Stadium.
Speaking exclusively to RamsTV, he said: “I’m delighted that it’s done, it’s something that me and the manager spoke about quite early in the season.
“I wanted to commit myself to the club and hopefully I can finish my career here, that would be amazing.
“Ever since I walked through the door, it’s been a great club and hopefully there are some more exciting years to come.”
Keogh was given the captaincy immediately following his transfer to Derby from Coventry City nearly six years ago, and the skipper feels that he has developed a true bond with the city.
“We have got a massive connection with each other, we’ve been through highs and lows and it’s a part of me now,” he explained.
“My son was born here and I’ve got a real connection with everyone at Derby, it will forever be in my heart.”
During his time with the Rams, Keogh has won the club’s Player of the Year award on two occasions, whilst after the conclusion of the 2014/15 season, he was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.
This season, under Rowett, Derby are looking to accomplish something special, and Keogh hopes that he can add to an already impressive list of achievements.
Looking back on his time with the club, he said: “I knew that I was coming to fantastic club and I just felt that it was the right fit for me at the time, but if you said to me back then that I’d do what I’ve done with the football club, I wouldn’t have believed you.
“When I came here, I said to myself that I wanted to be a part of the history of this club, and hopefully I will be but I’m not ready to stop there.
“I feel like I’m coming towards my best years, I’ve got a lot to offer and I’m still exciting to come in every day.”
On the Rams’ prospects this season, Keogh added: “It’s been a great journey so far, I’ve really enjoyed working with the manager and the standard of my game has been very high, and a lot of that is down to him.
“We’re in a good place at the moment, there are a lot of twists and turns to come, but it’s exciting and we’ve got some big games coming up.
“Hopefully we can achieve something special and nothing would mean more to me than doing that.”
