Kevin Keegan

1966–1971: Scunthorpe United

Scunthorpe United could not afford a set of football nets and trained on a rugby pitch at Quibell Park. They also had five-a-side training sessions on the Old Show Ground concrete car park. Keegan took training very seriously, and he did twice-a-week training with teammate Derek Hemstead by doing weighted farmers walks up and down the cantilever stand at the Old Show Ground. In running drills at Scunthorpe, Keegan liked trying to finish first and was told by coach Jack Brownsword that one thing he had going for him was that he was a "one-hundred percenter" and he should never lose that. This was the first of his running drills that would later irritate senior professionals such as Liverpool's Tommy Smith, and Bill Shankly would advise Keegan that he did not have to win all his runs. Scunthorpe did not have the funds for a full-time driver to drive them to away games, so Keegan and the other younger players would take turns in driving the minibus to and from away games. Keegan, Nigel Jackson, Jimmy Coyne, Alan Olbison and Steve Hibbotson once borrowed Brownsword's stopwatch and had timed rallies around the Old Show Ground with the club's vintage tractor. On Keegan's turn, the tractor crashed and the axle went through the engine. The tractor was very expensive to fix, and the five players were harshly reprimanded by manager Ron Ashman. This experience gave Keegan awareness of his responsibility as a representative of Scunthorpe United. In…

During 1972, Keegan made five appearances for the England under-23 team, with his only goal coming in a friendly match against East Germany. That same match also saw Keegan receive his only red card at international level. Keegan made his England debut on 15 November 1972 in a 1–0 World Cup qualifying win over Wales. Keegan managed only two appearances during this campaign, both against Wales, as England failed to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first international goal in his third appearance, also against Wales, on 11 May 1974. He was given the captaincy by manager Don Revie in 1976 after Gerry Francis fell victim to a long-term injury. He went on to captain England 31 times, retaining the captain's armband until his international retirement after the 1982 World Cup. Keegan captained England at Euro 1980. England failed to progress from the group stage after finishing third in their group behind Italy and Belgium. He managed only one World Cup appearance, as England failed to qualify for both the 1974 and 1978 tournaments. He finally reached the World Cup in 1982, held in Spain. He was named in the squad for the tournament, but was suffering from a chronic back injury and was unfit to play in any of England's group games. In a last desperate effort to play in a World Cup – knowing that he would not be around for the 1986 competition – he secretly hired a car and drove from Spain to a specialist he knew in Germany for intensive treatment. He recovered…

Newcastle United

On 5 February 1992, almost eight years after his final game as a player, Keegan returned to Newcastle United as manager. The club had been relegated from the top flight in 1989 and narrowly missed out on promotion in 1990 after losing in the playoffs to arch-rivals Sunderland. In 1991, they failed to make the playoffs and occupied last place in the Second Division at several stages. Following the dismissal of previous manager Ossie Ardiles, Keegan was appointed to prevent Newcastle from being relegated to the third tier for the first time in the club's history. The club was suffering from internal struggles and boardroom battles which were holding them back. After three or more years trying, John Hall had recently won the board room from the old regime. Though Hall was not yet confirmed as the chairman, he had accrued enough power to make the key decisions. Hall told board members one hour before Keegan's first press conference that he would be the manager. Keegan had watched only two live matches in seven years. One was the European Cup final in 1991, the other being a goalless draw between Newcastle and Blackburn Rovers; as such, it was suggested that Keegan was unprepared and inexperienced. When Keegan turned up to Benwell for his first training session as manager, he noted the training ground was in a mess. He was surprised at the neglect of the facilities. The training ground was in the process of being sold; despite this, Keegan paid for the…

In September 1970, Keegan met his future wife, Jean Woodhouse, on the Waltzers at Doncaster fair. They married on 23 September 1974 and had two daughters. Keegan became renowned for his "poodle perm" hair in the 1970s and regularly appeared at the top of "worst hairstyles" surveys.

In July 2008, Flybe International announced the naming of one of its new Bombardier Q400 aircraft in honour of Keegan's service to Newcastle United, both as a player and as manager. The plane was used on the regular service from Newcastle International Airport to London's Gatwick Airport. He made appearances at charity cricket matches for Lord's Taverners and Sussex Cricket Club. In April 1991, he was attacked while sleeping in his Range Rover in a car park near the M25 at Reigate Hill in Surrey. His assailants later said in court that they needed money for a drug debt and did not know they were attacking Keegan.

Death and tributes

Keegan died from stomach cancer on 20 July 2026, aged 75. His family had announced the diagnosis in January, and in June, he disclosed that the cancer was stage four. Following Keegan's death, Newcastle United issued a tribute describing him as "one of the most iconic, influential and deeply loved figures" in the club's history and calling him "the beating heart of Newcastle United". Liverpool said his "indomitable spirit" and contribution would be "forever etched" in their history. England and Manchester City also expressed condolences, with City noting his…