Kevin Keegan, one of English football's greatest players and a figure renowned for his unquenchable passion, has died at the age of 75. Keegan remains the only Englishman to have won the Ballon d'Or twice, a feat he achieved with Liverpool and Hamburger SV. His career was marked by exceptional skill, fierce determination, and a deep connection with fans that made him a beloved icon in both England and Germany.
Kevin Keegan, a kid from mining stock in South Yorkshire, a kid who started out at Scunthorpe United and went on to conquer Europe, was one of the greatest players English football has ever produced but it was the unquenchable passion that burned within him that won him such a prominent place in the hearts of the public.
Mighty Mouse, he was called as a player and it suited him. He was the little man who would never give up. He was the small guy who punched way above his weight. He was the lad who never bowed to anyone.
He may have been slight of stature but he had the biggest heart that ever beat in the chest of an English footballer. Sometimes, it feels as if time has dimmed the memory of quite what an outstanding footballer Keegan was and how he became a pioneer and a pathfinder, the first Englishman to play in a European Cup final with both English and foreign clubs, in his case Liverpool and Hamburger SV.
Sometimes it feels as if England's mediocrity when he was at the peak of his playing career and the fame and affection he garnered in his managerial career, particularly at Newcastle United, have obscured the fact that he remains the only Englishman to have won the Ballon d'Or, the prize bestowed on the greatest player in the world each year, more than once. Keegan won it in successive years during his time in Germany, in 1978 and 1979.
For context, that puts him level with Franz Beckenbauer, Alfredo Di Stefano, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and the Brazilian Ronaldo in the pantheon of the greats of the game.
'I'm probably the most ordinary player to have won it twice,' Keegan said in a recent interview. But there was nothing ordinary about Kevin Keegan. Anybody who ever met him or ever watched him play or ever heard him giving a manager's post-match press conference or ever saw him spending hours with fans desperate for a word or an autograph, knew that.
Liverpool, Newcastle and England legend Kevin Keegan has died at the age of 75 after a short battle with illness. Keegan (pictured in 1977 after winning the European Cup with Liverpool) is one of the greatest players English football has ever produced. Once, after his playing career was over, I sat opposite him on a stage at Westminster Central Hall, asking him questions in an interview organised by the newspaper I worked for then.
I don't remember the questions I asked, or the answers he gave. What I do remember is how Keegan held the audience in the palm of his hand. They were rapt. After it was over, Keegan stayed until he had fulfilled every autograph request and spoken to every man and woman who wanted a word, who wanted to say that they had talked to one of the legends of the English game.
Keegan was an extraordinary man. He was a riot of colour and flame in a grey world. In a sport where players are told to keep their mouths shut and their emotions in check, he let his emotions run wild and people loved him for it.
His public profile rose even more when he competed in the BBC programme Superstars, which aired in the 1970s and 80s, and featured sportsmen battling it out against each other in series of different disciplines.
'Superstar' has become an overused term now but if ever a man fitted that description, it was Keegan. He was box office, from head to toe. The combination of the reach of television and the dynamism of his personality made him one of football's first new age icons.
Even in the midst of everything he achieved on the pitch, what endeared him to people, and a huge part of the gift he leaves behind for us, was his heart and soul. His passion lit up his life. He could not contain it and we loved him for it. His passion gave us some of the landmarks we remember him for.
The fight with Leeds United captain Billy Bremner at the 1974 Charity Shield that got both men sent off and saw Keegan ripping off his shirt as he left the pitch. What a different world it was then.
'That looked very much like a right hook by Johnny Giles,' commentator Barry Davies said when Keegan was flattened by a sweet right hand. Keegan pleaded for leniency for Giles. A few moments later, he was trading punches with Bremner.
'This is a side of English football we do not want to see,' Davies opined. Keegan was beloved in Germany after moving to Hamburger SV in 1977. He won the Ballon d'Or twice on the continent. Keegan was an extraordinary man.
He was a riot of colour and flame in a grey world. Keegan, who was born in Doncaster, had begun his career with Scunthorpe United before he was spotted and scouted by Liverpool manager Bill Shankly and established himself as the star player of the team that went on to win the European Cup, under Bob Paisley, in 1977. That team was one of the great sides in the history of the English game.
Let the names roll off your tongue: Ray Clemence, Phil Neal, Joey Jones, Tommy Smith, Ray Kennedy, Emlyn Hughes, Kevin Keegan, Jimmy Case, Steve Heighway, Ian Callaghan, Terry McDermott. The news reports his passing at age 75 after a short illness.
The text celebrates his playing career, his passion, his uniqueness as the only Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or twice, his impact on and off the pitch, his popularity among fans, and his legendary status at Liverpool, Newcastle United, and for England. It also mentions his altercation with Billy Bremner and his success in Germany with Hamburger SV
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