JOHN O’SHEA HAS backed Richard Keogh to bounce straight back from his play-off heartbreak.
Keogh’s defensive blunder gifted QPR a late winner in Saturday’s £120 million Wembley showdown, leaving the Derby captain in tears at the final whistle.
“Richard will get over it,” O’Shea said.
“He’s a fantastic player. He’s probably been one of Derby’s best players, if not the best player this season.”
Keogh, his Rams team-mates Jeff Hendrick and Conor Sammon, and QPR’s on-loan striker Kevin Doyle are due to join Ireland’s end-of-season tour with friendlies against Italy, Costa Rica and Portugal still to come.
“It’s just one of those things in football,” O’Shea added.
“His disappointment was clear to see for everyone. If he comes into the squad and the manager has a chat with him, it will obviously pick him up.
“I know Richard, the type of lad he is – a fantastic lad and a fantastic player. He’ll get over it and come back bigger and better and stronger.”
O’Shea was also full of praise for his usual international partner Dunne who was named Man of the Match for 10-man QPR.
Dunne, who turns 35 in September, has been rested by manager Martin O’Neill for the summer tour.
But O’Shea feels he will still have plenty to offer when the Euro 2016 qualifiers begin.
“I’ve played alongside Richard enough to know what a quality player he is.
He had his magnet hat on again. Everything was just directed to him and with the right position and his experience, everything was cleared away.
