He may have gone Down Under, but former Ireland international Andy Keogh is on top form when it comes to football, as the Dubliner is enjoying his status as one of a tiny amount of footballers from this country currently playing in front of crowds.
The 34-year-old has been largely off the radar since he left the confines of the English club scene in 2014, when he began a world tour that started with a club in Australia (current club Perth Glory).
He then moved on to Thailand, Saudi Arabia and India before a return to Australia last year, but Keogh has taken to life in Perth.
The accent remains as strong as ever: “I’ll never lose the Dublin accent, no matter what. I have too many Irish friends around me here to let me start speaking like an Australian”, he jokes. But while Dublin is his birthplace, Perth is now home, Keogh the proud owner of an Australian passport.
“I am here to stay. I love it over here, I have my citizenship and my Australian passport, as well as my Irish one. I’ll never let that go, but this is home for now. Ireland was my first home but this is home now,” he says.
Family back in Ireland have been able to follow his exploits with Perth Glory on TV, and the fact that the A-League has kept its gates open for fans is huge for Keogh, along with compatriots Roy O’Donovan and Jay O’Shea, who also play in the A-League.
“It’s great to be able to play in front of crowds. I’m fortunate that the country here is just well-run in general – and we’re lucky to have fans at our games, keeping football going,” he says.
“We usually get about 10,000 in for the games. We’re not at full capacity yet, but some of the grounds are getting close to it. Our usual home gate is around 15,000, so it’s good to be operating at two-thirds capacity.
“It’s brilliant to have crowds. Players raise their game when they have supporters in to watch, you want to entertain.
“You want to celebrate with people and players want to win for their fans, and have the fans there to see it – the supporters are a massive part of the game.
“If you’ve ever played in a reserve team game behind closed doors, you know how boring it is. You can hear every ball being kicked, just echoes in the stadium, so having fans in makes it seem more important.
“We had a Covid case in the club last week, and the place was shut down for three days, over one case. It’s quite regimented, but it seems to be working and everyone here leads a pretty normal life.”
Keogh heaps praise on the Aussie way. “I am very fortunate to be where I am, I’d love to have family around but you get on with it.
“The Australian government have been second to none on Covid. They sorted it all out properly, they locked the country off and made sure the virus didn’t spread – and they showed the rest of the world how to do things properly,” he says.
“They went in early and just shut the country down.
“And the football has been good with not many breaks, we have been pretty much at it all along.
“It’s just different here, you train and then go for a swim at the beach without having to worry about restrictions – it’s been a weird season, but I’m just happy to be playing football.”
Having started out at Leeds United, Keogh travelled the motorways of England and traversed the divisions, lining out for nine clubs (loans included), with his club career peaking with a spell in the Premier League with Wolves (14 games, 1 goal between 2009-2011), but the move away suited him.
“I travelled a bit, I tried the Asian market for a bit and was in Saudi last year, which was fantastic.
“It wasn’t difficult at all, a beautiful country with great people. It’s not like you see on the news, it’s a good standard of football too with people who are passionate about the game – and I can’t say a bad word about Saudi.
“I am well-rounded and happy with how it’s gone. I have lived in many countries with different cultures and religions – and I hope that’ll stand me in good stead when it comes to managing or coaching,” says Keogh, currently taking his Pro Licence through the FAI.
HIs name popped up a number of times in homes across Ireland last year when Zoom quizzes were in vogue, as he’s on a list that includes Gerry Daly, Keith O’Neill and Kevin Kilbane – players who scored the first goal under a new Ireland manager, as Keogh was the first scorer under Giovanni Trapattoni, at home to Serbia in 2008.
“At least my name wasn’t forgotten,” he laughs. “It was my first international goal and to do it in Croke Park, and score the first goal under Trap, was special. To score for my country, that was the pinnacle for me.
“You look back and reminisce, but that part has come and gone – and I am enjoying the present. I don’t live in the past.
“The national team was gone for me when I left England, but I had my time and enjoyed it. I had a fantastic time.
“Could it have been better? Yes, but am I disappointed? No. I enjoyed every moment and learned a lot, I was part of a very good Irish squad with Irish players.”
He’s contracted to Perth Glory for next season and will assess his next move then.
“I’m nearly 35, it’s been a long journey so we’ll see how it goes. I started okay this season, but got a few bad injuries and that held me back.
“Not playing had a major effect on the body, but I am over it now and ready for the rest of the season. I’ll keep plugging away and when the body says ‘no more’ I’ll pack it in.”