Derby County defender Richard Keogh disappointed to miss out on place in Republic of Ireland squad

RICHARD Keogh has spoken of his disappointment at missing out on a place in the Republic of Ireland squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifying double-header.

Keogh made his senior international debut last month, coming on as a late substitute in a 2-0 friendly victory over Poland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

However, he was overlooked when Giovanni Trapattoni named his latest squad for the matches against Sweden and Austria.

"I think it's human nature to be a little bit disappointed," said the 26-year-old defender. "I'm not going to lie about that.

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"It's one of those things. I thought I did as well as I could when I was out there (against Poland) and just to get on the pitch was a massive bonus.

"Playing for my country was probably the proudest moment of my career.

"When I went over there, everyone made me feel really welcome.

"It's something I worked hard for but they've got a great group of players and I'm sure the manager has picked the squad he thinks is the right one."

Derby duo Jeff Hendrick and Conor Sammon, who also earned their first caps against Poland, have been called up again by Trapattoni.

Ireland, currently third in Group C with two wins and a defeat, take on Sweden in Stockholm on Friday and Austria in Dublin on Tuesday (March 26).

"I'll be supporting the boys all the way and I'm really pleased that Jeff and Conor have been called up," said Keogh.

"I'll be watching the games closely and wishing them all the best.

"We'll be looking for two positive results and, hopefully, I can be involved again in the future."

Keogh was named man of the match in Derby's 2-1 victory over Leicester City at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday evening.

The centre-back has been ever-present since his move from Coventry City last summer – and he believes that maintaining consistent form at club level will help his chances of an Ireland recall.

"The most important thing for me at the moment is Derby County," said Keogh.

"Hopefully, if I keep playing well for Derby, I'll be back involved.

"They've (Ireland) obviously been to a few games this season and they know what I'm capable of.

"If I keep performing well for Derby, it will give me a better chance of getting back in the squad."