Keates ready to fight for place

Midfielder Keates made 37 league starts for Posh last season

Peterborough United midfielder Dean Keates wants to remain a key member of Darren Ferguson's first team, as Posh gear up for life in the Championship.

Keates told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire: "I'm the second oldest in the squad, but I'm only 31 and like any other player I want to play.

"Nobody will be happy to play a game here or there or be on the bench."

Meanwhile, Chris Whelpdale is set to undergo a hernia operation, which means he may miss the start of the season.

Keates, 31, is one of the senior players in the Posh squad and started 37 times in their promotion campaign.

Everyone is fighting for places and you try to do the best you can in pre-season to try and secure a place in the starting line-up

Dean Keates

The former Lincoln, Kidderminster and Hull midfielder has played in the second tier of English football before, having been part of the Walsall squad that were relegated from the Championship in the 1999-2000 season.

He will be competing with Paul Coutts, Toumani Diagouraga and Lee Frecklington for a place in midfield.

"Everyone is fighting for places and you try to do the best you can in pre-season to try and secure a place in the starting line-up," said Keates.

The Peterborough players travel to Marbella on Monday for a week of warm weather training, as they have done for the previous two seasons.

New signings Diagouraga and Tommy Rowe will be joining up with the squad for the first time, and Keates feels they will settle in quickly, despite being subject to the club's regular initiation task.

"The lads normally sing on the first away trip so they'll be expected to get up sing in Marbella during the first evening meal," he said.