Kevin Keen

Early career

Keen is the son of former professional footballer Mike Keen who played in midfield for Luton Town, Watford and Queens Park Rangers. He attended the John Hampden Grammar School, High Wycombe and was a member of the High Wycombe U15 team that won the English Schools Trophy in 1981 and won several England schoolboy caps. A year later, Keen became the youngest ever player to appear in a first-team game for Isthmian League side Wycombe Wanderers, making his debut at 15 years and 209 days, in September 1982. He played three games for Wycombe before joining West Ham United as a 16-year-old apprentice.

West Ham United

Keen joined West Ham as an apprentice in 1983 and signed professional forms a year later in March 1984. He helped the reserve side to win the Combination League and won 15 England Youth caps. He made his debut as a substitute for Geoff Pike in a 5–2 home defeat against Liverpool in September 1986. He made 17 league and cup appearances in the 1986–87 as West Ham finished 15th in the First Division table. This season saw his first West Ham goal, in a 4–1 home win against Leyton Orient Orient in the 3rd round of the FA Cup on 31 January 1987. He made another 25 appearances in the 1987–88 season and 33 appearances in the 1988–89 season as West Ham reached the semi-finals of the League Cup and were relegated to the Second Division. A change of West Ham manager from Lou Macari to Billy Bonds saw him become almost ever present in the 1989–90…

Keen rejoined West Ham in July 2002 as under-17 academy coach. He was later appointed reserve team coach and became first-team coach in October 2006. Following the sacking of manager Alan Pardew in December 2006, he was very briefly placed in temporary charge of first-team affairs until Alan Curbishley was appointed two days later. He reverted to his previous role as reserve team coach when Glynn Snodin was appointed as first-team coach in June 2007. He was formally announced as caretaker manager on 3 September 2008 after the resignation of manager Alan Curbishley. Keen took charge of West Ham for one game only; a 3–2 away defeat to West Bromwich on 13 September 2008 before handing over the manager's role to Gianfranco Zola. Keen was appointed again as caretaker-manager of West Ham, for their last game of the 2010–11 season, following the sacking of their previous manager, Avram Grant on 15 May 2011. On 3 July 2011, Keen left West Ham to join Liverpool as first-team coach in the backroom team under Kenny Dalglish. On 8 June 2012, it was confirmed that Keen had left Liverpool after the arrival of Brendan Rodgers as manager. On 3 July 2012 it was announced Keen had joined West Bromwich Albion as joint assistant head coach. On 14 December 2013 it was announced that Kevin Keen had been sacked along with head coach Steve Clarke. In July 2014, Keen began work as Head of Coaching and Under-18s Manager at Fulham. On 20 December 2014 he was appointed assistant manager to Steve Clarke…

Keen was handed his first permanent managerial position on 21 December 2015 when he was named Tony Humes' successor at League One club Colchester United. Keen's first match in charge was the Boxing Day Essex derby against Southend United. His side, already on a seven-game losing run, were defeated 2–0. He earned his first win as Colchester manager on 9 January 2016 against Championship opposition as his side defeated Charlton Athletic 2–1 in the FA Cup third round. Following a winless league run of 19 League One games stretching back to October 2015, Keen oversaw his first league victory for Colchester on 1 March 2016 as they defeated Bradford City 2–1 at Valley Parade courtesy of two Darren Ambrose goals. He was nominated for the League One 'Manager of the Month' award for March after improving Colchester's fortunes, but lost out to Barnsley caretaker manager Paul Heckingbottom. Despite Keen leading his side to a late season upturn in form, Colchester were relegated to the fourth tier of English football for the first time in 18-years after suffering a 3–0 home defeat to Burton Albion on 23 April 2016. He departed the club by mutual consent three days later.

West Ham United

Football League Second Division runner-up: 1990–91, 1992–93 Stoke City

Football League Trophy: 2000 Individual

Stoke City player of the year: 1999