Paul Keegan (born December 30, 1972 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish professional footballer. Keegan was the first Irishman to play in Major League Soccer in the US.

Keegan joined St Patrick's Athletic from schoolboy football but could not break into Brian Kerr's successful side. In 1992, Keegan accepted the offer of a soccer scholarship by Boston College where he learned his trade under the tutelage of renowned forwards coach Darren Dunne. After a successful college career, Keegan was drafted by the New England Revolution in the first ever MLS college draft in 1996. Keegan stayed until 2000. In 2000 Keegan played four times for the Boston Bulldogs in the US A-League to help recover from a knee injury.

Keegan got his first taste of League of Ireland football when he was loaned to St Patrick's Athletic in 1999. Playing mostly off the substitutes bench, Keegan helped Pats secure their second successive league championship. At the end of the season he returned to New England. The following year he joined Bray Wanderers and his performances there earned a move to title chasing Bohemians in 2002. Bohemians won the league in Keegan's first season as he developed a great relationship with league leading scorer, Glen Crowe. In 2004, Keegan joined Longford Town and ended the season by scoring the winning goal in the FAI Cup final. Keegan joined St Patrick's Athletic for the third time as manager John McDonnell looked for experienced strikers to add to his young team.

After a year back with St Patrick's, he moved to Motherwell in January 2007 for an undisclosed fee^[1].

He moved to Scotland's Partick Thistle in August 2007, but was released the following summer, joining Dumbarton in the Scottish Football League Third Division helping the Sons to win the league championship in May 2009, before being released later that month.

Keegan impressed enough in a trial match with Airdrie United to secure a contract on 22 July 2009.[1]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Paul Keegan @ stpatsfc.com
• New England Revolution place Keegan on waiver
• Keegan chosen 6th overall in 1996 college Draft
• Paul Keegan's WTFC.net player profile
• Paul Keegan (footballer born 1972) career stats at Soccerbase