The Richard Keogh saga continues after reports emerged that the Republic of Ireland international was sacked by Derby for not wearing a seatbelt in the car accident that led to two of his teammates’ arrests.

On Tuesday evening, the club announced that they have terminated Keogh’s contract “with immediate effect for gross misconduct.”

The former Derby captain suffered a serious knee injury after he was involved in a car crash with teammates Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett following a club sanctioned night out.

Keogh, who does not drive, was a passenger in Lawrence’s vehicle when it crashed into a lampost.

Derby detailed a number of reasons as to why Keogh was sacked due to “gross misconduct”, among them were his refusal to take a pay-cut from £29,000 a week to £3,000 a week.

According to a report in The Times, Keogh’s failure to wear a seatbelt to ensure his safety in a moving vehicle also led to the decision to sack the Irish international. Derby have said that Keogh has 14 days to appeal against the decision. The Times also report that “sources close to the player claim that he is stunned by the club’s refusal to pay for his medical rehabilitation.”

Both Bennett (23) and Lawrence (25) admitted to drink-driving changes and were both were fined six weeks’ wages by Derby. They have since returned to action for the Championship club. Keogh was the only one to suffer a serious injury in the crash and will not play until the end of 2020 at the earliest.

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