Derby County have sacked Irish defender Richard Keogh a month after he was involved in a car crash which saw team mates Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett charged with drink driving.

Keogh was a passenger in Lawrence’s car when it crashed into a lamppost following a team night out on September 24th and suffered a serious knee injury in the accident.

The defender is expected to miss 12-14 months due to the injury in addition to Euro 2020 should Ireland make the tournament finals next year.

His contract was set to expire next summer and according a report to The Guardian he had been told he could stay and see it out but the club then shocked Keogh by outlining that he would have to accept a massive pay-cut in order to remain at Derby.

The report also outlines that Keogh found the club’s stance to be unacceptable and they have since told him “that he is no longer in their employ,” with his lawyers and the PFA also getting involved.

Keogh’s team mates Bennett and Lawrence admitted to drink-driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident but avoided jail-time instead being ordered to carry out 180 hours of community service and receiving a ban from driving.

They both remain at the club, with Lawrence, the Welsh international, playing 90 minutes in five game since being left out of the squad for the Birmingham game on September 28th.

Bennett was also left out for that game but has been used as substitute for The Rams on two occasions since, with the club also fining the pair six weeks wages.

The Guardian understands that Keogh is said to be extremely let down by Derby, a club he has been with since 2012 making 355 appearances for.

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