132 Facts About Kevin Keegan

Joseph Kevin Keegan was born on 14 February 1951 and is an English former footballer and manager.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Keegan was recognised for his dribbling ability as well as his finishing and presence in the air.

Kevin Keegan returned to football in 1992 as manager at Newcastle.

Kevin Keegan began his playing career at Scunthorpe in 1968, before Bill Shankly signed him for Liverpool where he won three First Division titles, the UEFA Cup twice, the FA Cup and, in his final season, the European Cup.

Kevin Keegan moved to Hamburg in the summer of 1977 and was the recipient of the Ballon d'Or in both 1978 and 1979.

Kevin Keegan moved to Southampton for two seasons at the club before a transfer to Newcastle United who were then in the Second Division in 1982.

Kevin Keegan moved into management at Newcastle in 1992, the team winning promotion as First Division champions.

Kevin Keegan had been out of football for almost three years when he returned to Newcastle United for a second spell as manager in January 2008, but this lasted only eight months, as he resigned on 4 September 2008 following speculation about a dispute with the club's directors.

Kevin Keegan's father moved to Armthorpe in Doncaster to work in a colliery, where he married Doris and they had three children: Mary, who was two years Keegan's senior, Kevin, and Michael.

Kevin Keegan was born at his aunt Nellie's house in Elm Place in Armthorpe.

Kevin Keegan was given his first football by his uncle Frank and his first pair of football boots by his father after he had a win on the horses.

Kevin Keegan played football at Hyde Park using his baby brother Michael's pushchair as a goal post.

Kevin Keegan had a trial with Doncaster Rovers, arranged by his father, but when Kevin Keegan arrived, he found out he had been given the wrong information and the trial was earlier in the day and at a different place.

Kevin Keegan participated in various sports, such as cross country running, rugby, football, and even captaining his school's cricket team.

Kevin Keegan boxed at his local club, run by the former British Heavyweight champion Bruce Woodcock.

Kevin Keegan left school with O Levels in History and Art.

At the age of 15 Kevin Keegan started work at Pegler Brass Works as an office clerk; though he has stated that he was more of a tea boy and messenger than an office clerk.

Whilst working at Pegler, Kevin Keegan continued playing Saturday afternoon football for his local youth club, Enfield House, and playing Sunday morning football for the Lonsdale Hotel.

Kevin Keegan was marked by a player in his mid 30s, called Bob Nellis.

Still though, at Scunthorpe Kevin Keegan would take his training very seriously.

In running drills at Scunthorpe Kevin Keegan liked trying to finish first and Kevin Keegan was told by Jack Brownsword that one thing he has going for him is that he is a one hundred percenter and he should never lose that.

On Kevin Keegan's turn the tractor crashed and the tractor's axle went through the engine.

Kevin Keegan made his debut against Peterborough United at the age of 17, making 29 league starts in his first season.

Kevin Keegan then missed only one game in his last season.

Kevin Keegan's attacking play and ability prompted manager Bill Shankly to stop playing Keegan at right midfield and instead Shankly decided Keegan would be more effective upfront.

On 14 August 1971, Kevin Keegan made his Liverpool debut against Nottingham Forest at Anfield, scoring after 12 minutes.

Kevin Keegan made his England debut at under-23 level later in 1971.

Liverpool won the replay and Kevin Keegan scored twice more on the way to Wembley Stadium, including a lob-volley over the head of England colleague Peter Shilton in the semi-final against Leicester City at Villa Park.

Kevin Keegan explained that Shankly's motivation was made easy after the pre-game talking by Supermac and to a lesser extent John Tudor.

Kevin Keegan noted how after this final Shankly, he and the other Liverpool players were sympathetic to the devastated Newcastle players and tried to not rub it in with their victory.

Kevin Keegan's next visit to Wembley was three months later in the Charity Shield game, the traditional curtain-raiser to a new season, between the League champions and the FA Cup winners.

In one instance Johnny Giles punched the unsuspecting Kevin Keegan and was reprieved after Kevin Keegan asked the referee to be lenient.

Kevin Keegan scored in both legs of the UEFA Cup final against FC Bruges, having only scored once previously during Liverpool's run in the competition.

Nevertheless, Kevin Keegan was irrepressible as Liverpool clinched the title and reached the finals of both Cup competitions.

Kevin Keegan did not score, but he did make a late run which led to a foul inside the penalty area by Berti Vogts.

Later, when Kevin Keegan was at Newcastle United as a manager, he and Terry McDermott would joke about the perm on a national kit supplier advert.

Kevin Keegan, who was Hamburg's best-paid player and had been intensely billed as the superstar signing from England who would transform an average German team by the club's business manager Dr Peter Krohn, was not immediately accepted by his new teammates.

Kevin Keegan perceived things that highlighted he was not immediately accepted.

Rules stated that no club was allowed more than two foreign players, and unknowingly to Kevin Keegan he had upset some of his new teammates as his move had indirectly moved out the three times European Cup winner Horst Blankenburg.

In one early interview Kevin Keegan mentioned how he was settling in.

Kevin Keegan explained how he missed British cereals that he could not find in the supermarkets in Germany.

In one instance in the summer, Kevin Keegan went into a hardware shop intending to buy a fuse and he eventually left the shop after buying Christmas lights.

Kevin Keegan scored in pre-season friendlies against Barcelona and former club Liverpool, but the club suffered defeat in the European Super Cup against the Merseysiders.

Kevin Keegan who knew he was going to be sent off, walked off the pitch prior to any decision by the referee.

Kevin Keegan maintains this was the lowest ebb of his time in Germany and following this moment Kevin Keegan then decided to master the German language and be in a position to fully integrate in order to be in a strong position to ask the players why they were not passing to him, and to show the players in the training ground cafe, he too loved the club.

Kevin Keegan was suspended for 8 weeks and in those 8 weeks Kevin Keegan and the squad made efforts to integrate.

Kevin Keegan knew the dressing room was turning, when he was getting invited to the squad nights out, when one player told him he could get cheap meat for his dogs and when the full back Peter Hidien even got a perm.

Zebec's squad did a lot of running and Kevin Keegan claimed he had never been worked as hard in his life.

The club's success translated into individual recognition for Kevin Keegan, who picked up the European Footballer of the Year award for a second consecutive year at the club.

In 1979 Kevin Keegan was given the nickname Mighty Mouse from the Hamburg fans.

Kevin Keegan had a lot of respect for Zebec, though Kevin Keegan reasoned that Zebec's extreme fitness regime philosophy was flawed for the modern-day footballer.

Kevin Keegan even told Zebec that his training regime would burn himself out as a footballer and that he believed he would be finished from playing by 30 if he continued.

Kevin Keegan then implied to Zebec that players have different roles and not all players run the same distances on match days; he pointed out to Zebec that because of his role and his effort, on match days not many players in the squad ran as much as himself.

At Hamburg Kevin Keegan even doodled with a pen and paper what he thought of the training regime.

The club were beginning to become established in the top division, but this signing showed how persuasive their manager could be, especially when Kevin Keegan captained England in the 1980 European Championships in Italy.

Kevin Keegan had a clause inserted into his contract when he joined Hamburg in 1977, giving Liverpool the option to buy him back.

Kevin Keegan had scored 26 of the team's 72 goals and was voted the club's Player of the Year.

Kevin Keegan had fallen out with McMenemy over the manager's failure to strengthen Southampton's defence while the team was at the top of the table.

Kevin Keegan joined Newcastle United and spent two seasons there, during which time he was extremely popular with the supporters.

Kevin Keegan always felt at one stage in his career he would play for Newcastle United.

Kevin Keegan explained, no one could have made him more welcome.

Kevin Keegan made his debut and scored his first goal against QPR.

Kevin Keegan, finished this season with 21 goals in 37 appearances and won North East Player of the Year.

In September 1983, Kevin Keegan answered a phone call at 1:00 am from Arthur Cox.

Kevin Keegan felt his career was finished after a cup game, a month prior, away at Liverpool.

Kevin Keegan who had been in a one on one with the goal keeper many times in training, and in football matches, felt, with his pace, with his experience in this position, it was second nature to finish the move.

At this precise moment, it occurred to Kevin Keegan he had now lost his yard of pace.

Kevin Keegan felt if he had have extended his career at Newcastle in the first division he would have had to adjust his game and move from the attacking role he had built his footballing identity on over the last 15 years of his career.

Kevin Keegan did not want to extend his career by moving back into midfield in the first division with Newcastle.

Kevin Keegan wanted to retire on a high at Newcastle United.

Kevin Keegan played 78 times, he was prolific and he scored 48 goals and helped them to promotion from the Second Division in 1984, within a team which contained Peter Beardsley, Chris Waddle and Terry McDermott.

Famously, a then unknown 13-year-old Alan Shearer, who Kevin Keegan would later break the world transfer record for, whilst manager of Newcastle, was a ball boy in Kevin Keegan's testimonial.

Kevin Keegan, who had stated that he would never enter football management, did carry out occasional work as a football pundit for British television.

Kevin Keegan appeared in only the two matches against Wales during this campaign as England failed to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

Kevin Keegan scored his first international goal in his third appearance, against Wales, on 11 May 1974.

Kevin Keegan was given the captaincy by manager Don Revie in 1976 after Gerry Francis fell victim to a long-term injury.

Kevin Keegan went on to captain England 31 times, retaining the captain's armband until his international retirement after the 1982 World Cup.

Kevin Keegan managed only one World Cup appearance though, after England failed to qualify for both the 1974 and 1978 tournaments.

Kevin Keegan finally reached a World Cup in 1982 when England got to the finals in Spain.

Kevin Keegan recovered sufficiently to appear as a substitute for the last 26 minutes of England's final second-round game against hosts Spain.

Kevin Keegan publicly expressed his displeasure at not being given the courtesy of a phone call from Robson, and never played for his country again.

Kevin Keegan had won a total of 63 caps and scored 21 goals.

On 5 February 1992, almost eight years after his final game as a player, Kevin Keegan returned to football as manager of Newcastle United.

Kevin Keegan joined a club that still had participants from the old board room battles that had been going on at the club for decades.

The board members belonging to the former regime were only told by John Hall, one hour before Keegan's first press conference that Kevin Keegan would be the manager.

Kevin Keegan had only watched two live matches in seven years.

When Kevin Keegan turned up to Benwell for his first training session as manager, he noted the training ground was in a mess.

Kevin Keegan was surprised at the timely neglect of the training ground facilities.

The training ground was in the process of being sold, despite this, Kevin Keegan paid for the clean up of the training ground with his own money, with the cleaning work being done in one weekend.

Kevin Keegan felt this clean up work was an important move and an indirect statement to the players that conveyed to the players that their professionalism, from now on, had to be high.

Kevin Keegan noted the club had an impressive crop of youth players.

Kevin Keegan noted Steve Watson would take throw-ins via a somersault throw and this amused and shocked Kevin Keegan.

Kevin Keegan regarded it as a gimmick and he could not believe the fans would take joy in it.

The throw-in, to Kevin Keegan, was a sign of how far Newcastle had fallen.

Kevin Keegan wanted the club to be known for scoring goals and thrilling football.

Kevin Keegan was not upset and he did not punish either player.

Kevin Keegan perceived he had not given the transfer funds he had been promised.

Top scorer David Kelly and influential midfielder Gavin Peacock were both sold during the close season, and Kevin Keegan brought striker Peter Beardsley back to Newcastle from Everton, six years after he had been sold by Newcastle to Liverpool.

Kevin Keegan then strengthened his side by signing Swiss World Cup defender Marc Hottiger and Belgium's defensive midfielder Philippe Albert, while Norwich City's quick winger Ruel Fox had arrived on transfer deadline day in March 1994.

Kevin Keegan made several important additions to the Newcastle side in the summer of 1995: Reading goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, Paris Saint-Germain's French winger David Ginola, Queens Park Rangers striker Les Ferdinand and Wimbledon defender Warren Barton.

Kevin Keegan stated in 2018 that if Newcastle United had won the title in that season, the squad, which included players such as Les Ferdinand, Darren Peacock, David Ginola, Peter Beardsley, Faustino Asprilla and Rob Lee would have stayed together, may have built up a momentum, and won more trophies.

Kevin Keegan then broke the world transfer fee record by signing Blackburn Rovers and England striker Alan Shearer in July 1996.

On 8 January 1997, Kevin Keegan announced his resignation as manager.

Kevin Keegan informed the board of his wish to resign at the end of the season, having decided he no longer wishes to continue in football management at this stage in his life.

Kevin Keegan was succeeded by Kenny Dalglish, the same man who had replaced him as a player at Liverpool 20 years earlier, but Newcastle were unable to win the title and finished second place in the same season, and in the following season finished outside the top ten in the Premier League, although they were FA Cup runners-up.

Kevin Keegan returned to football on 25 September 1997 as "chief operating officer" at Division Two club Fulham, with Ray Wilkins as head coach.

Fulham finished sixth in the final table, but Wilkins was sacked just before the first leg of the playoff semi-final and Kevin Keegan took over as manager.

Fortunately however for England and Kevin Keegan, Poland lost their last match in Sweden in Group 5, and England instead entered the qualification playoff with Scotland.

Kevin Keegan resigned as England manager on 7 October 2000, after England lost to a Dietmar Hamann goal for Germany in their first 2002 World Cup qualifier, in the last game to be played at Wembley Stadium, before the old stadium was rebuilt.

On 24 May 2001, Kevin Keegan returned to football as successor to Joe Royle at Manchester City, who had just been relegated from the Premier League.

Kevin Keegan signed experienced international players such as Stuart Pearce, Eyal Berkovic and Ali Benarbia.

Kevin Keegan was the first manager in the Premier League era to win the Division One title with two clubs.

Kevin Keegan guided City into the UEFA Cup, qualifying via the UEFA Fair Play ranking.

Kevin Keegan managed his first game at the club since 1997 against Bolton Wanderers on 19 January 2008.

Richard Bevan, chief executive of the League Managers Association, stated the following month that Kevin Keegan would consider a return to the club but only if those who hold the ownership are willing to develop a structure which he is happy with.

The club was warned by the LMA on 5 September 2008 to develop a structure which would satisfy the next manager to replace Kevin Keegan to avoid a similar situation repeating itself and damaging the club's image.

The tribunal ruled in favour of Kevin Keegan, agreeing that Newcastle had constructively dismissed him by insisting on the signing of midfielder Nacho Gonzalez on loan to replace James Milner following his move to Aston Villa and a bid for Bayern Munich's Bastian Schweinsteiger being rejected.

The panel declared that Kevin Keegan had been misled to believe he had the final decision on player transfers, and was never explicitly told in writing, his contract, or word of mouth that he did not or that his role would see him essentially report to others.

Several key senior staff, including Dennis Wise and Derek Llambias, had publicly claimed that Kevin Keegan had "the final word"; they claimed to the tribunal that this was not in fact the case and that their claims were just "PR".

In June 2013, Kevin Keegan stated he would only consider a return should owner Mike Ashley leave the club.

Kevin Keegan has continued to criticise Ashley, accusing him of a lack of respect for the fans.

In September 1970 Kevin Keegan met his future wife, Jean Woodhouse, on the Waltzers at Doncaster fair.

Kevin Keegan became renowned for his "poodle perm" hair in the 1970s, and has regularly appeared at the top of "worst hairstyles" surveys.

Kevin Keegan is known for aiding charities, including appearances at cricket matches for Lord's Taverners and Sussex Cricket Club.

In 1976, Kevin Keegan competed in the BBC's television programme Superstars.

In 1979 Keegan and his wife, participated with ITV's "Brian Moore meets Kevin Keegan," documentary filmed over the season at the family's Hamburg home and during his personal business appearances, including in France, as an insight and rare glimpse into the life of a modern millionaire footballer, away from the pitch.

Kevin Keegan quipped, "I'm so glad that I wore brown trousers".

Kevin Keegan narrated the 90-minute documentary Keegan on Keegan, released via Castle Vision on VHS cassette in 1992.

Kevin Keegan was part of ESPN's live coverage of the 2011,2012 and 2013 FA Cup finals with pitch-side build-up and post-match commentary.

Kevin Keegan released a single in 1972 titled "It Ain't Easy".

In 1979, his song "Head Over Heels in Love", written by Chris Norman and Pete Spencer, was released on 9 June, and peaked at number 31 in the UK charts, but climbed to number 10 in Germany where Kevin Keegan was based at the time, and where Norman's band Smokie was popular.

Kevin Keegan released another single, "England", on his return to England from Germany, but it failed to chart.