Promotion-winning ex-Town defender becomes first-team coach at League One club

Former Ipswich Town defender Richard Keogh has returned to Blackpool to became a first-team coach at the League One side.

The 37-year-old announced his retirement from professional football this summer after spells with Forest Green Rovers and Wycombe Wanderers.

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Keogh spent the 2021/22 campaign at Bloomfield Road, making 31 appearances for the Tangerines before moving to Ipswich in the summer of 2022.

In total, he played 16 games for Town as he helped the Blues win promotion back to the Championship in 2023, having started his career at Portman Road.

He now takes his first steps into coaching as part of Neil Critchley’s backroom staff to replace Iain Brunskill who left Blackpool to join Neil Lennon at Rapid Bucharest in Romania.

Richard Keogh spent one season at Blackpool. (Image: PA)

The former Republic of Ireland international will also work alongside Mike Garrity and Steve Banks at the club as they look to improve on last season’s eighth place finish in the third tier.

On his appointment, Keogh said: “I’m delighted to be coming back to Blackpool, and grateful to the gaffer, David Downes and the owner for this wonderful opportunity.

“I’ve known for some time that once I hung up my boots I wanted to focus on coaching. I’ve been working hard for a number of years on my badges, and feel now is the right time to get back into the game, and to do that at a special club like Blackpool gives me a great feeling.

“Despite being at the club for one season as a player, I felt a real connection with the supporters, and could see just how much the club means to the people here.

"I hope to help the players as much as possible as we collectively strive for a successful season.”