Kevin Keegan – A Liverpool Great Remembered
Such a shock to learn of the passing of Liverpool great Kevin Keegan.
I was there when he made his debut against Nottingham Forest. He had been signed a couple of months earlier for only £35,000 from Fourth Division Scunthorpe United. There were few expectations, yet from the first whistle, it was clear he was a special player.
His energy and commitment brought his first goal for the Reds only 12 minutes into the game.
READ MORE: Reflections on a Legend
LFC TRIBUTE: Liverpool FC deeply saddened by the passing of Kevin Keegan
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A Special Player From the First Whistle
He formed one of the first “big-man/little-man” striking partnerships with Welsh centre-forward John Toshack. Within a year, he had made his first appearance for England.
It was a period of great success for Keegan and the club: three League titles, an FA Cup, two UEFA Cups and a European Cup. Kevin Keegan was at the centre of it all.
Back in those days, I used to enjoy reading the autobiographies of top footballers. Keegan’s book was different. While he remembered his successes fondly, he was never afraid to be critical when he thought it was warranted. LFC didn’t escape his wrath, even though he loved the club and its fans.
A European Cup Farewell
His final season at Anfield was 1976-77. Before a ball had been kicked, he announced that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season because he wanted a new challenge abroad.
His way of thinking was unusual for the time. Some supporters didn’t receive the news well, yet Keegan played on undeterred.
The Reds came agonisingly close to a treble, and Keegan signed off in style as Liverpool defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1. He gave a man-of-the-match performance, and off he went to Germany to play for Hamburger SV.
Underrated at Anfield
Looking back, I feel Kevin is a little underrated at Anfield. Part of the reason was that he was succeeded by the great Kenny Dalglish, while Liverpool’s dominant run in English football continued to even greater heights.
At Hamburg, after some initial struggles, he had great individual success, winning the Ballon d’Or in 1978 and 1979.
He is also overlooked when pundits and journalists look back on the greats of English football. The likes of Bryan Robson, Paul Gascoigne and now Harry Kane are often lauded ahead of him.
Only four Englishmen have reached the pinnacle of the Ballon d’Or, and Keegan did it twice.
Later in his career, he returned to England to play for Southampton and then Newcastle United. Newcastle is a very similar city to Liverpool, and Keegan became a legend there too—first as a player and then as a manager.
A Footballer With a Pop-Star Image
In a sense, Keegan was a successor to the great George Best as a footballer with a pop-star image. Whereas Best was a natural, Keegan had to work hard at his game. I think it’s fair to say he outshone the Belfast boy in the long run.
A friend of my sister once said I looked like Kevin Keegan from the back. Make of that comment what you will!
Remembering Kevin Keegan
To remember the great man, here are highlights from the 1974 FA Cup Final against Newcastle United.
It’s a seven-minute video showing his energy and passion, with two goals to top it off. I was there that day when he etched his name into LFC history forever.
Rest in peace, Kevin Keegan.
YNWA