Coventry City right back Richard Keogh has been speaking about his move to Coventry and his life outside football.
The 24 year old joined Coventry in the summer from Carlisle United and is just one of many of the Irish new boys at the club.
Keogh was born in Essex but has an Irish father so is eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland and has 8 under 21 caps.
"I've met a lot of people since I came to Coventry and the first thing most of them say to me is 'you don't sound very Irish!'" said Keogh to the CT. "That's probably because I'm an Essex boy, born in Harlow, but my Dad is Irish which is why I qualify for the Republic and I have represented them in the Under 19s and the Under 21s, where I played with Stephen O'Halloran and captained the side."
"The fact is that I class myself as Irish, I chose to play for them and I would be so proud if I ever got called up for a full international. I suppose there is a bit of a Shamrock Mafia feel to the club at the moment and, as you'd expect, I do have plenty of banter with the other Irish boys, but then the spirit of the whole dressing room is fantastic, we all get on together really well."
"I think that showed at the weekend when we were dreadful for an hour against Watford, we didn't stick to the game plan at all, but we still ended up getting a draw out of nothing. I don't think we'd have got that result if we didn't have the right spirit."
"In the end it was a fantastic point and we almost pinched it with Doyler's shot at the end which would have completed one of the great comebacks of all time. I think the Sky Blues fans can count on seeing that sort of attitude all season because it's something that the manager has instilled in us since he came to the club."
"We all think we can achieve something special this season, so you can be sure that whatever the score we will keep going until the 90th minute and beyond!"
"I'm currently living in Leamington with my fiancée Charlie. We were very lucky, because we found the place quite early which helped us to settle in quickly and let me get my head down to the pre season training."
"It helps that there's a few of the other lads around so we can go out for a coffee and stuff which is obviously good for that team spirit I was talking about."
"Charlie is getting to know the other players' wives and she's in the process of getting a job. She used to be in the cabin crew for Thomas Cook but had to give that up when I got my move to Carlisle. She works in cosmetics now. She's a really good make-up artist and, touch wood, she could be starting work this week."
"It's all panning out really well at the moment, and we both love it here. Our wedding day has been set for June 2, 2012, which seems a long way ahead but the venue we wanted is fully booked until then and at least it gives us plenty of time to save up some money!"
"I'm still only 24 but because I've had quite a few loan spells, Coventry are my ninth club. I've done the rounds from Wycombe to Carlisle, Bristol to Huddersfield, but probably my most interesting stop to date was when I spent three months in Iceland playing for Vikingur.""I was 18 at the time and I'd just signed a professional contract with Stoke, and they thought it would be good idea for me go out there in the summer and play in their top division against men. I learnt a lot out there and it helped me grow up, stand on my own two feet. They have a good standard of football, very competitive."
"I'd been used to playing in youth teams when sometimes it was more about the performance than the result, but being out there certainly toughened me up and I think it has stood me in good stead. Iceland is a fantastic place. People tend to assume that it's always cold but in the summer it's really hot and it's still daylight until about 3am."
"Obviously it's the other way round in the winter, but luckily I was back home by then so I think I got the best of the deal weather wise. It's a fascinating country. I stayed in Reykjavik while I was there but I got out of town to see some of the scenery. They've got some amazing spas and caves which sometimes makes it look like a different planet."
"I know what you're thinking but, no, I didn't run into Aron Gunnarsson while I was out there. He's a bit younger than me so our paths never crossed, but I did but make a lot of good friends."
"I've had some good reports since I came to Coventry and the fans I've met have been very complimentary about my performances which is obviously a big boost to my confidence. I think supporters appreciate players who work hard and that's always been my game. It's high energy, plenty of running and tackling, getting forward whenever I get the chance."
"I'm pleased that people have taken to me because I'm very self-critical, as I think most players are, but I'm determined to take this opportunity to establish myself in the Championship."
"I'm still young, I've still got a lot to learn, but you can be sure that I will give it 100 per cent at all times. I don't think the Watford fans were too pleased with me on Saturday when I celebrated our late penalty with a little jig! Their manager was certainly going spare at the decision but I honestly thought it was fair enough."
"The defender who was marking me wasn't even looking at the ball, he was more worried about me getting a run on him. He'd been tugging me three or four times and he did it once too often because the referee was brave enough to call it."
"I suppose what upset Watford was that those kind of pulls and pushes happen a lot in nearly every match and most of the time the referee doesn't give it, but I read somewhere that they are trying to stamp down on that sort of thing because, at the end of the day, it is obtaining an unfair advantage."
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