Football Daily - Remembering Kevin Keegan

Episode Date: July 20, 2026

Steve Crossman is joined by former teammates, colleagues, journalists and fans of Kevin Keegan, who has died aged 75.4:14 - BBC Football Correspondent John Murray 7:22 - Former Newcastle player Lee Clark 17:29 - Samantha, Newcastle supporter 26:24 - Former Newcastle manager Chris Hughton 34:45 - Liverpool teammate Phil Thompson 40:02 - John Gibbons from The Anfield Wrap 47:20 - Former Chairman of the Football Writers Association Paul Hetherington and football journalist Henry Winter 55:01 - German football reporter for The Athletic Seb Stafford-Bloor

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. How did a boycott Jimmy become a billionaire from posting videos? On good, bad billionaire, we're going to find out how the world's most popular YouTuber, Mr Beast, made his fortune. He's buried himself in a coffin for days. Counted to 100,000 on camera. And even recreated squid games, all in an attempt to go viral on the internet. But it all started when he gave a homeless man $10,000. So is he a philanthropist reshaping capitalism?

Or is he just the king of the attention economy? Find out on good bad billionaire. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds. By now you'll probably have heard the sad news that Kevin Keegan has passed away at the age of 75. So for the next hour, we'll be paying tribute to one of the world's most enigmatic, extraordinary, passionate,

powerful football people. A man raised in a Doncaster village who went on to become a two-times ballon door winner with Hamburg. In Germany, they called him Mighty Mouse, but he was also Liverpool legend, Jordie Godd, a member of that rare club that is former England man and former England manager. Local hero, international superstar, football royalty,

King Kev. When you walk through a storm I know it's about four The doctor told my mother I'd never play sport Because of my chest But you know, managed to use it as a spur, I think And think, you know, I'll prove you wrong Kagan!

What about Kegan as an manager then? Brilliant. Best thing they've ever done. Praise God, that's about this, isn't it? Can't get no bigger than that? He's magic. There's no other job I want in football And in the world. Made no mistake, this team will grace the Premier League. How much of you now is really a Jordan?

I'm probably back where I belong. You can tell him now if you're watching it, we're still fighting for this title, and he's going to go to Middlesmer and get something. And I'll tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them. Love it. We're delighted to announce Kevin Keegan will coach the England's senior team for the next four games.

He qualified for the European finals, which no one thought we would, and that he'd pooled together a pretty disparate bunch of players. So I think he's achieved everything that we could possibly have asked him to. People remember me from my air. They remember me falling off a biking superstars, a lot of people. And they remember them, you know, I'd love it if we beat them.

There will never, ever be anybody like Kevin Keegan again. Coming up, we're going to speak live to Lee Clark, who played under him at Newcastle. We'll talk to Chris Hewton, who coached alongside him. We'll speak to Phil Thompson, a teammate at Liverpool. We'll also have fans from former clubs who'll join us live to. We will also be live in Hamburg before the end of the hour. hearing about his time there, that is where he was twice crowned as the best player in the world. And we'd love your stories. Because in my experience, nobody who met Kevin Keegan forgets meeting Kevin Keegan.

So if you'd like to share a story, we'd love to hear it. You can text us on 85058. We are also on social media at 5 LiveSport. Of course, there are already loads of tributes being paid. I want to start with Alan Shearer, who simply said, my hero, my manager, my friend, sleep easy boss. Fistino Asprea, another Newcastle legend, said, Today is a day I never wanted to see. I'm heartbroken to hear of the passing of Kevin Keegan. Not just a football manager, the man who introduced me to and made me fall in love with the beautiful city of Newcastle. More Newcastle legends like Keith Gillespie and David Gindler.

Daviginla, he was a man with an immense heart, someone who taught us a great deal on a human level. And Gillespie, Kegan, an incredible man. inspiration to myself and so many others. Jamie Carriger said, rest in peace, Kevin Kigam, one of the greatest players this country has ever produced. Trophies and goals galore. Double Ballondor winner shows he was an absolute giant of the English game.

Let's speak first to our correspondent, John Murray. John, we've lost a great one. Yeah, a superstar, an England superstar, the captain of the team, the first football hero for so many people, including yours truly. And it is such sad news. Coming the day after the end of the fiesta of football that was the World Cup to hear this today,

but what a life he lived. Absolutely extraordinary life in football. And now is the time to celebrate that as well. I mean, I think sometimes we can overuse the phrase household name, but especially where you grew up, the name Kevin Keegan would have been in every single living room. I honestly remember it so clearly, the local newspaper, the journal. I can almost see the headline in the paper when he came to Newcastle United as a player, first of all, when Newcastle were in the second division, you know, the excitement that there was.

But also, actually, before that, I also remember when Laurie McMenemy pulled off a real coup by signing him for Southampton. And so they took him from Hamburg and he moved to Southampton, which was, I mean, that was massive. headline news at the time. And then the move to Newcastle and that of course was the start of what was certainly a beautiful relationship but also a stormy relationship over the years. But

he was hero worshipped on Tyneside as a player. His dad was a Jordy. You know he felt that link with Tyneside and then he was hero worshipped just as much, if not more when he became manager of Newcastle United as well. I was just

looking at some local papers from Kevin Kagan arriving as a manager, Kevin Kagan arriving as a player. I've got the Northern Echo in front of us, and it just said, he's ours, which you could interpret in so many ways. That's him joining as a player. But he was theirs, that area of the country.

And we'll talk about Liverpool and we'll talk about England a little bit later. But it's the northeast of England and it's Newcastle, John, where I think most people, you hear the name Kevin Kagan, you instantly go there. Yeah, and another one of his nicknames

was Special K. And he was special. And, you know, when John Hall, Sir John Hall, Northeast businessman, brought him to Newcastle as manager, that also caused a wow. And Newcastle were in danger of being relegated to Division III at the time. And it was the rise of Newcastle United under Kevin Keegan, when they ended up eventually challenged for the league title, playing European football.

You know, remember when they sold Andy Cole, remember when he signed Alan Shearer from, world record transfer fee again massive headlines and it was the style of football everyone wanted a piece of Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United because they were exciting

and entertaining to watch and you know he didn't reach the heights that he wanted to in terms of winning the biggest of the trophies but they are so fondly remembered that Newcastle United team. We also have

with us Lee Clark who was part of the New Castle team that won promotion to the Premier League under Kevin Kagan and then twice finished second in the top flight in the mid-90s. Lee, thank you so much for being with us. I hope you're doing okay. This is awful news, I'm sure, for anybody who knew him well like you did. Yeah, extremely tough day and especially listening to John's words there and obviously your introduction of you'll have a walk alone and local hero because certainly both in live up, full land, Newcastle. Kevin Keegan never did and we'll never walk alone. Lee, what is it like when you are sort of 19, 20 years old playing for Newcastle

and you learn that Kevin Keegan is going to become your manager? Well, it's a different perspective for me. I was a local lad. I was there in his first game, and watched every home game he played in over two seasons in the early 80s. We'd gone from a club that was attracting 12, 13,000 playing in the old second division, mid-table finishes. Not really exciting. We then signed the best football in Britain and the England captain. The crowds went to Fullhousers, 32, 33,000. And he just dragged the team by the shirt tail and made us into promotion contenders in his second season getting promotion.

but didn't just reinvigorate the football club re-invigorated the city and then unbelievably in the 90s done exactly the same reinvigorated the football club that was John rightly said was going to go down to the third tier of English football then in the space of 18 months

had us playing and going up to the Premier League and then competing with the biggest clubs in the Premier League for the to win the league you know I think probably the worst finish we had was sixth which Kevin himself and the players are us

we were disappointed in but he'd reinvigorated the city again he made it live again you know there's a saying about there's not one individual bigger than any football club and that's that is right but if there's ever one person did come close to being that

it's Kevin Keegan at this football club in this city he's adored the city's in mourning everyone's heartbroken you know I spoke to the lads from that year we've got a group WhatsApp

and we're all absolutely devastated because we didn't just lose a boss we lost a friend we lost a father figure I certainly did as you said I was a 19 year old boy when he turned up and he helped me with absolutely everything not just the football but stuff off the field as well

John I just think it's so important to focus on this part of the Kevin Keegan story as well because we'll talk about the famous moments and I'd love it if we beat them and all that kind of thing. But perhaps people might not realise the job that he did at Newcastle before they were Premier League title contenders. Yeah, and if I can tell a story that really illustrates

how he was regarded on Tyneside was actually his second coming as manager briefly in 2008. You know, and it was a difficult time for Newcastle United at the time. And I remember it was, I was there, it was a night match, it was an FA Cup third round replay against Stoke City. And news broke as I was driving to Tyneside. And I remember parking the car.

And people were literally dancing and celebrating in the street. And I've never seen anything like that. In English football, for English football supporters to react in the way that they did, I remember at the time thinking this must be what it's like if there's a successful coup in a former South American country

or something like that. You know, people in the streets, in the roads. And he came to the match that night and if you remember, he was traveling there and he arrived during the match. And I remember, you know, the full House of St. James' part for this match, these double doors open

and Kevin Keegan walks in. I mean, it was like Elvis Presley. And that's why we keep using the word, you know, Jody Godley because it's difficult to come short of that when you're talking about Kevin Kagan in that city? He says, it's the right

well, yeah. Sorry, getting a little bit emotional but yeah, he is a god. He's a special person. Whatever tributes are given to him, it's not enough. just as such a special guy, you know. There's many great stories of what he was like about the football club.

I remember the year we got from, won the championship to get into the Premier League, and we won it down at Grimsby Town on the Tuesday night. The season was ending on the Sunday, but we had a game in hand on the Thursday, St. James's. And obviously, we celebrated well with the supporters on the Tuesday night, travelling back from Grimsby. We probably weren't in tip-top professional condition approaching the Thursday. game 1-0 down to Oxford United at home came in at half time and Kevin you know came for us and

said you're letting the fans down Elliott and the good people who are paying good money down with that performance you're not entertaining them he said in fact you're not entertaining me and he got in his car and he drove home at half time. Thankfully me and I thankfully me and Andy Cole scored a goal each in the second half to win but that left the mark on everybody to say you're here, the supporters are here to support you but you've got to give them something to shout about and that was his aim

and that's what he always encouraged and it was apt that we got the title of the entertainers the saddest thing about it the most disappointing thing which we've always talked about when we get back together which we have done both the lads and Kevin and the staff Terry McDermott and Derek Fasackley

is we just couldn't get that elusive Premier League win, which we were so close in 96 to do, that would have just topped everything off because I don't know if it happens at any other club, but we're still held in such high esteem that group of players in that era, and we ended up didn't even win a major honour,

so it's quite unique, but that was down to Kevin. And what this football club stands for now in terms of breaking the world record to sign Alan Sheener, Shira bring him home. So Bobby Robson ended up managing us. That was only allowed to happen by what Kevin had set. The legacy

he'd put in place and the way the club was looking. He read out, you know, something from social media from Fastino, Asprea, but I played alongside a great guy. This club wouldn't have been anywhere near signing players like that if it hadn't been for Kevin Keegan.

So he brought something really, really special to the area. Just as you're talking, Lee, I'm reminded, and you were part of the Newcastle side this day, that season when Newcastle lost in that crazy game, 4-3 at Anfield. And, you know, there are many great iconic Kevin Keegan quotes, but one of the most iconic images of him as a manager is sort of with his head flopped over that advertising hoarding when the fourth Liverpool goal goes in.

And you can see every emotion in Kevin Keegan. You know, when people talk about wearing their heart on the sleeve. You know, that's him, isn't it? Especially in that moment. We can see everything that you're talking about almost in one image. That was the words I was going to use. We knew his players, what emotion and mood the manager was in. Because he wore his heart on his sleeve.

He didn't hate anything. And he showed you that his passion, his desire, his enthusiasm for the job was just absolutely crazy. was just, and he sent you out on the pitch, and you felt like you were the best player in the world in your position, you felt 10 foot tall, and you had the support, and I certainly did, I had the support of an absolute legend, both as a player and a manager, and that gives you one of the best feelings ever, and to have him, you know, encouraging your prayers and you seeing nice words, the odd time, having to give us a kick up the backside as well, of course,

but that was the father figure and we all had so much respect as I said I was there the day he came as manager I was there the day he quit that was a bombshell in the dressing room we were all devastated we lost someone we respected so much

someone we believed we could end up being a winner with in terms of getting a major trophy so the day he quit after the Charlton Athletic FAA Cup tie was a tough time but the day has surpassed that. I think he's one of them characters that you think

this day is never going to happen. He's just going to continue. He's going to be the superhero that all thought he was. So when it has come, it's been a very, very tough few hours, I've got to say. Lee, I can tell how difficult it's been for you. So thank you so much for coming on and paying such a brilliant tribute. You've done him absolutely proud. Thank you for talking to us.

Thank you so much. Thank you. Lee Clark there, former Newcastleman played under Kevin Kemp. and part of the team that was promoted up to the Premier League and also part of the team that came so close on two occasions to winning the top flights. We've got correspondent John Murray with us. Let's speak to Samantha, who's a Newcastle United supporter. Goodness me, Samantha, it must be such an emotional evening

for everybody associated with Newcastle. Are you doing okay? Yeah, I mean, I just can't believe it. I'm actually broad at the moment, and then my phone buzzed, and I was taking photographs, and looked, and it, A friend of mine said Kevin Kagan's died. And I just stood there looking at the phone thinking, no, you know, I just couldn't believe it. I was shocked.

I mean, I know a few weeks ago he'd done a tour cane up at Newcastle and, you know, and he looked, he's actually looked really well. And, you know, and he was telling his stories and he revealed that he had stage four. And I think we all were saying, obviously, to court, you know, he was. his famous saying that we've had so much fun with over the years. I'd love it if he beat cancer, just love it. And obviously, sadly, it's not happened. And I think he's left the whole city in shock tonight. I've had a lot of messages from friends.

At St James's Park now, we're starting to have people arrive laying wreaths and, you know, scarves tied around the railings. And I thought if I was there, I would be there. Because I think everybody loved Kevin Keegan. I don't think anybody would think that this day would come so soon. You know, I think we all thought and hoped that he would, you know, somehow pull through because he was such an important part of the city, you know, not just the club, but the city

and if you didn't like football you know I think you couldn't help but love him for what he did he was just I mean we called him King Kev

you know he was just I mean looking at his career and things I mean I always remember a friend of mine we were just reminiscent today

and a friend of mine was saying it was in the strawberry when it came on the TV that he was going to be a manager which is the pub next to the ground isn't it

yeah it is and it was full of and it was full of you and it came on the television and it was so unexpected that he was going to be manager and he was saying nobody spoke for about 10 minutes. There was total silence just staring at the television. There was not a pint pulled. There was nothing because everybody was like, oh my God, you know what I mean?

And then obviously once the news report finished, apparently the cheer you could hear it in time mouth a few miles up the road. and that was just and the entertainer's era you know I mean that was just the best time of supporting Newcastle in my my experience you know the whole thing was just

you just loved it I just fell in love with football you know and I mean you'd been going before I've been going you know before that but that time was just amazing and everybody just loved Kevin Keegan for

his infectious, you know, his infectious behaviour, is love for the game, it's love for the club. And, you know, when Shira, I just watched the interview that he gave when Shira signed, I've watched it again, and you think, oh, listen to him. He just absolutely, and he gets the fans, you know. And when we saw Andy Cole, he was the one that came out on the steps and explained it to the fans,

because the fans were furious, but he was King Kev and he explained things. so everybody you know I mean I'm sitting here thinking I just want to cry you know but then you're thinking this is not just a football manager

he was Newcastle United and I think he totally I mean he's the best manager in my opinion you know I mean I know he didn't get and won as what he wanted to but we were damn fine close to it and do you Do you know what, John, just listening to Samantha there.

It really hits home exactly what you were just saying about the feeling when he came back to the club, almost like Elvis had re-entered the building. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, and the thing is Newcastle fans did not want that to end. And that's why there was this clamour and this excitement that he was coming back for those brief few months. And, you know, I've dealt with him. so many times over the years and it is exactly that

he always offered you something he was such an interesting man to talk to about football and a lot of that a lot of what we've been talking about on the program so far tonight does come from I think the influence that Bill Shankly had on him that was massive in his career Bill Shankley who was the Liverpool manager

who signed him from Schumthorpe United to play for Liverpool and that really catapulted him onto the superstardom But it was much more than just a football thing. You know, Bill Shankly, the stories that you hear about him, Kevin Keegan clearly took several chapters out of the Bill Shankly book and used them very effectively over the course of his football and career. Yeah, I'm sure we'll get some great stories on that as well

when we speak to Phil Thompson very, very shortly. Samantha, just before we let you go, I mean, the fact that Newcastle have got Liverpool on the opening Sunday of the new Premier League, season at St James is, that is going to be some outpouring of emotion? Oh, I would think so, yes, because I think the Liverpool fans loved him just as much as what we did. And I think, you know, hopefully we can have, you know, a time of reflection before the game, maybe during the game. I'm sure that the clubs will come together.

I know the preseason friendlies, I'm going to the one at Gateshead on Saturday. and I think everybody's saying we'll just sing his name from the stance and I'm sure everybody will join in. It's just awful. I just cannot believe it. It's awful. Well, thank you so much for talking to us and paying a lovely, lovely tribute. It's been great speaking to you and I think you're speaking for a lot of Newcastle fans,

so thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. That's Newcastle fan, Samantha. John, just before we let you go, is there anything else you want to say about about Kevin Kagan? Well, I think just so much. When I call him right at the start a superstar,

that's what he was. He was the England captain, and that was in an era where it was more difficult to get to the final. So England didn't qualify for a major finals from 1970 to 1982. And some of the goals that he scored, some of the performances for England that he put in, I remember the one-toes with Trevor Brooking

when he scored against Scotland, a brilliant chip against the Republic of Ireland. And then in those 82, finals when he and Trevor Brooken came on to try and win the match against Spain and and both missed chances and that's that that that also is missing from his CV that he wasn't able to to as a player have that impact on a major tournament but my goodness he did it for his clubs the famous partnership with John Toshak they said that that they were almost telepathic and and he also of course

demonstrated his firiness spikiness remember the punch up with Billy Bremner in the charity shield But is leaving Liverpool when they just won the European Cup for Hamburg. You know, that was a radical move for the England captain to go to Germany, which just goes to show that sometimes history does repeat itself. But he won the league with them before he came back and finished his playing career in England. But he was so much more than that, as I say, he's such a superstar, such a figure in the country's social history, whether it was his bubble perm that he had.

you know he was a regular on the television screens advertising brute aftershave with henry cooper he appeared on top of the pops released singles the superstars crash on his bike was iconic and talked about for years and years and years and even his old english sheepdogs which he and his wife jean had they were they were a really familiar image of the time as well so you know what a character i say that you know you thought that at newcastle united that They never wanted it to end. And I think that's how you feel about the life of Kevin Keegan. He was born on Valentine's Day, you know.

Well, he was much, much loved and will be missed. Absolutely. John, thank you so much. Correspondent John Murray with us there. Let's speak next to Chris Hewton, former Newcastle manager, of course, brought them back to the Premier League after their relegation in 2009 and was on the staff with Kevin Keegan before that as well. Chris, thank you so much for. for talking to us. I know it's an awfully difficult time.

No, firstly, you're very welcome. And I must admit, I've listened to quite a few of the tributes over the day. And I can't actually remember hearing as many emotional tributes, I think, to anybody that I've heard that I've heard today. So, and I think that's the measure of the man that Kevin was. Who was he to you, Chris? Well, I owe him certainly a managerial career.

My background, of course, having played and played against Kevin a good few times when he was at Southampton and also remember very much playing against him for the Republic of Ireland

in 1980 against England where Kevin scored the two goals and I'll tell you a very quick story about that but I'll go on to what he's meant to me is that obviously I had a very good and very long coaching career at Tottenham which which came to an end in 2007 and then in February 2008 I got a phone call didn't recognize the number and it was Kevin on the phone and I had to think twice about it. whether it was Kevin or whether it was a little bit of a prank.

But it was Kevin on the phone and said that he'd lost Nigel Pearson, that he'd heard some good things about myself. And would I like to come up? And so I then said, when do you want me up? And he turned around and said, well, about first thing in the morning. And that was it. And that was the start of my Newcastle experience. Of course, it was well documented, the reason why Kevin left over a period of time.

And then our course went on to be that the manager got promotion back to the Premier League, and that was the start of my managerial career. And for that, I very much owe all of that to Kevin, of having the faith to bring me up to Newcastle in the first place. and then the pleasure of having worked with him for that period of time that I did. So the first time you get the phone call, you obviously can't see him,

so you think, oh, this isn't a prank, is it? And then when you're actually in front of him, what was that first meeting like? Well, I'd met Kevin before it. I'd go back to another story. So I played against him, and we're about seven, eight years' difference. So I played against him when he was at Southampton,

of course I'd broken into the Spurs team. But one of my favourite moments of Kevin wasn't the scoreline, was playing for the Republic of Ireland against England in 1980 at Wembley. Kevin got the two goals, so we'd lost the game two, nil. And those were the days when, you know,

you shook hands at the end of the game and went down to the tunnel and there weren't too many sort of niceties and so. And of course it was at Wembley and you've got that long walk to the changing rooms, obviously that were behind the goal. So I was walking to the changing rooms and as you do, you're walking off slowly. And then just turned around and it was Kevin that was walking about three yards behind me. So we ended up sort of chatting all the way to the changing room and Julie changed shirts

and that show I have to this day and from all of my memorabilia that would be the most precious one that I do have but to work with him was a pleasure no different to everything that I'd been told about him the things I did notice very much about him was that the players loved him and what he could do is that he could have

have a laugh and joke with the players. But when he came to decision-making and when it came to pre-match talks, halftime talks, having to get into players, having to give players a little bit of a rollicking, then, you know, that showed the quality that he had over and above the personality that he had. And it was no moments that hit you that, you know, this is the reason why it was such a good manager and so well thought of, you know, as a manager. And just before we let you go then, Chris, what, it's such a difficult question.

What memory of your time working with Kevin? Do you think you will take forward with you the most? When you hear his name in five years' time or whatever, what is the first thing that you'll think of when you hear the name, do you think? Very much, the first thing that comes to mine is a man of the people that could get on with everybody. And I think there's a saying that goes around,

well, if you can't get on with me, you can't get on with anybody, then that would sum Kevin up for me. You know, I always felt if you couldn't get on with Kevin, then it would be your fault, not he's. And because he was very much a man of the people gave everybody the time, I think that they deserved. And I think in a period of time where there is so much spoken about his humility, his personality,

I felt he was an exceptional coach and exceptional manager. That's such a wonderful tribute, Chris. Thank you so much for talking to us tonight. We really appreciate you coming on. You're very welcome. Chris Hewton, former Newcastle manager, took them up to the Premier League after a relegation and works, as you've just been hearing with Kevin Kagan at Newcastle United before that.

Rob says when I was 13 or 14 with about 20 others, I was in a competition run by the Liverpool Echo. The prize was six training sessions with Kevin Keegan. I was a rubbish clogger with two left feet attached the wrong way around, but he made me feel like I was about to conquer the world. What an inspiration as a player and a man. May he rest in peace? Stuart in Brockenher says

When I was 5'06 I remember my team Southampton Little Southampton signing Kevin Keegan for us to sign the European Player of the Year was crazy as a young fan

I got to meet him and ask a question with the club's Junior Saints Club he scored the best goal I ever saw at the Dell a scissor kick against Manchester United

but it was disallowed for offside maybe they needed VAR back then Stuart could have changed Danny Temple says I met Kevin in the corridors of St James's Park, the night before my ninth birthday in 1994, he was so personable. He offered me a photograph which was taken with his arms over my shoulders. He put Newcastle United on the map and put them on a different course forever.

I just think you have to be such a special player. To be born and raised, even though we had those northeast routes, but to be born and raised outside of the area, he's from just outside Doncaster, but become one of the first of their own at a club as passionate as Newcastle United. And let's not forget, that's not the only place that Kevin Keegan did that at Liverpool. He won three league titles, won the FA Cup, won two UEFA Cup. He won the club's first ever European Cup. That's Rome, 1977. That was actually his final game for the club. Phil Thompson won all of those trophies with Kevin Keegan in that same Liverpool team also went on to captain them, of course, to further European and domestic glory.

Phil, thank you so much for being with us. I know this will be a really, really difficult for everybody because we're remembering such a magnificent man, aren't we? It is a difficult time for everybody and it, when I first heard the news, I was absolutely devastated. But you know, when I listen to all these tributes and people talking about to me, you're just listening to Chris there. It's the love for Kevin and the love that he gave to everybody else, which is just a lovely story. I'm sitting here thinking, my goodness, that's Kevin Keegan were talking about. What a lovely man.

And that's above all of them. We can talk about as football exploits. But Chris mentioned that one word, humility. And it absolutely poured out of Kevin's veins. He was just such a nice guy. He talked about some signing things. Never turned down an autograph. Never turned down a photograph.

He was the best of all the people that have I've known it in football and in sport. Kevin was one of their own, whether it was Liverpool, whether it was Newcastle, wherever. You're saying that story about the young kid in Southampton, that's Kevin Keegan. That is Kevin Keegan. You know, what's really striking about what you've just said, Phil,

and it hadn't occurred to me is I've been talking to people for 40 minutes now who knew Kevin Keegan well. I haven't actually asked a question about how good a player or how good a manager he was. because everybody's story, you use the word a couple of times there, it's just love and the resonation of that love. It's his honesty. It's honesty about everything, about his in play. He wasn't the greatest ability in the world.

He wasn't a George Best skill-wise. He made the most of what he had, which drove him forward. He knew how good he was at everything. and even to the point of England manager, knowing that he couldn't take the team any further. And he knew his limitations. And that was Kevin in a nutshell. And you can only applaud somebody like that.

But when he came to Liverpool, he was a star waiting to happen. It was after my lads in the 60s that had been mine heroes, Roger Honte and St. John, Tommy Smith, Big Yeatsy, Emlyn Hughes. We needed a hero. and we got a superhero back in 71

and this guy was just a revelation long-haired lover from Liverpool he was just absolutely inspirational he hit it off with Shankly Shankly hit it off with Keegan and the two of them honestly were inspired and he took us to new levels and we did go on from not winning anything

for a couple of years to a European and a league titan 72, 73 to the FA Cup in 74. And it was largely down to Kevin Keegan. Yes, we all played our part, but he was just that spark that the football club needed at the time. You mentioned Bill Shankley and Bob Paisley,

and obviously one of the great things for you and for Kevin is to have been at the club at that time is you got to play for both of them. So I'm just really interested to know how they sort of, cultivated that spark that you're talking about. How did they manage Kevin Keegan? Did they manage him differently or similarly?

No, they knew Kevin was strong-minded, very, very strong-willed. I remember probably the first game against, it was a pre-season game. Kevin had just arrived. And Ronnie Warram was our manager in the reserve team. I'm three years younger than Kev. And we're playing a pre-season game. and it wasn't going right.

Half time was nil-nil. We hadn't had a chance. And Kevin come in at half-time. Now you did not go against Ronnie Moran. And Kevin Kagan sat there in the dressing room and we're all looking at Ronnie. And Kevin just openly said, we're never ever going to score a goal playing like this.

We've got no chance of scoring. Ronnie Moran said, oh, do you think you can do better? And he went, yes, I can. Because he came as a midfield player. He said, right, you go up front. He scored two goals. We won two-nill.

And but that was Kevin Keegan. Very, very opinionated, but knew what he wanted. And then he was in the first team, the first game of the season against Notting and Forreston scores a goal and then the rest is history. But it was his effervescent way of playing. He wasn't the most skillful player in the world. But he made the best of his ability. And he pushed himself and pushed himself every day.

every game. You talk about high press now. Kevin was doing that in the early 70s. Kevin never gave, didn't give anybody time to breathe. And he was, he was a guy who made so much of his ability. Joining Phil and I now, we've got John Gibbons from the Anfield rap. Hello, John. Lovely to have you with us on a really difficult day for so many people, but we're hearing and you'll have heard them so many wonderful tributes. Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, it's very rare, I think,

to have a player and a manager who has loved wherever he goes. And unfortunately, football fans, we can be quite fickle, you know, we can love you one minute. And if you leave, it's always let us down. But every club that he's been to,

it seems to be, you know, adulation. And we talk a lot about Liverpool. We talk about Newcastle. But my mate to a man city fans said, you know, before that these owners come in, when Kevin Keegan was the man city manager that was the most funly dad

watching that team and the team we put together I'm sure in Germany there's tributes for his time over there he played on the South Coast everywhere you go and everyone you speak to who was lucky enough to be

rather as a player or a manager or even just enjoyed his England team all say the same because he had such a joy for football and so much talent obviously but to match that

with hard work but also just that love of the game that was infectious and the football can knock that out of you sometimes the longer you're working in it or even just support it but he just had that forever and I think that one of the many many reasons as well as the others

the Phil very articulately said why he is so popular. You know what John as well? I'm loving hearing the Liverpool story specifically here from Phil because there'll be a generation I'm 40, right? And so I'm not old enough to remember Kevin Kagan as a player at Liverpool.

All of my memories of Kevin Kagan are for him of a Newcastle manager. It's actually a generation of people who will be listening to this and learning so much about Kevin Kagan's time at Liverpool because they simply won't remember it. No, absolutely. And I'm slightly older than you, but I used to go with my dad. And my dad used to moan with, if he had a player on the pitch, he was talented, but he wasn't working hard enough.

My dad always used to say, Kevin Keegan was the best player on the pitch and he worked the artist that was what he always said so that that kind of player and that kind of person you know sticks with the club longer than than did even there because it's an example

to everyone you know if your best if your best player is working the hardest then everyone on the pitch has to do the same and then afterwards people are still talking about it and he was he was loved at Liverpool not just because of the talent he had and because of you know the player he was but what he put in and you know

my dad idolized Kevin Kegan and I just thought he was great. I was lucky enough to interview him about seven or eight years ago and we got the chance and it was one of the ones we always wanted and then it came together and someone gave me his phone number and said Kevin will speak to you so I rang him up

and he was great on the phone and I said where do you want to do it? He said, well come to my house if you want and I remember saying to me Daddy I'm going to Kevin Keegan's house and he was like, you're what? He was like I was telling him I was going to the Vatican to see the Pope. Honestly, he was not shocked by it.

He was that flabbergasted. What do you mean? He going to Kevin Keegan's house. I said, I'm going around to his house. And I went around and he said, come in. And me and the lad who was producing came in. And, you know, he said, come through him. He sat at his front room.

His lovely wife came in with cups of tea and a big plate of biscuits. And then he said, go on, son, what do you want to talk about? And we chatted for well over an hour. It's one of my happiest memories. But I'm just sat in his house. and he's just, you know, I don't think he quite had his slippers on, but it felt like, you know, and he was just so comfortable,

and you wouldn't believe he was this big superstar, but, you know, you drove away, you know, pinching yourself because I used to watch videos of Keegan and in them great teams, and then he's just given so much of his time to you. It was fantastic, and, you know, I still smile when I think about, you know, that afternoon sat in his house, drinking biscuits that his mrs. and talking to him about yeah honestly whatever I wanted

whatever he was brilliant Phil let me finish with this then because just listening to John there it really leans beautifully into the sort of the deification of Kevin Kagan and how he became a god for so many fans of so many teams I just wonder whether there was a part

of that on the pitch as well in that to win the ballondore especially twice you have to be a player of great moments as well as all the dedication. So was he one of those sort of players on the pitch who, I think you've used the word hero already. So was he kind of one of those, hang on, we need a hero here.

Ah, there's Kevin Kagan. Yeah, he worked hard for it. And that's what John just been saying there. Kevin was a worker. Besides anything, he would make sure he put a shift in. But he'd done it with a smile on us for. There was very few players that you could think of who enjoyed the game. And you've seen it when he was a manager, all those laughs with my good mate Terry McDermott.

And he would be absolutely the fun the games. He wanted to play, but he wanted to enjoy every moment. Because Kevin knew that he was gifted, this wonderful gift of being a professional footballer, which he could give people great enjoyment by doing it. and he did at Liverpool. We made so many superstars of strikers. You know, Kevin, Kenny came along. Then it was, you know, I'm talking about the players

who come from abroad, Suarez, Torres, you know, you're just mosellas and said, you could go on and on. But Kevin came in and, like, was the right player at the right club, because that's why you look at the Jordy's, you look at the scouses, very similar in the way of life

and the way they look at it. They want the players to wear, as hard and to give them that enjoyment on a Saturday and Kevin Keegan did just that. Oh, Phil John. Thank you so much for talking to us. Just incredible tributes and I think a lot of people will be

learning about a part of Kevin Keegan's life that not everybody knew. So thank you so much to both of you for joining us and paying those tributes tonight. Pleasure. Pleasure, mate. Cheers, John. Great stuff. John Gibbons from the Anfield Rap and Phil Thompson, former Liverpool captain, won the European Cup with Kevin.

Kevin Kagan in 1977 and then Phil of course went on to win it multiple times at Anfield as well. We're paying tribute to Kevin Kagan if you've just joined us who we learned earlier today has passed away. One of football's just great characters, coaches and players. And we'll talk shortly about his time in Hamburg where he twice won the ballon door. We're going to talk about Kevin Kegan now as England manager. Just for one tournament, Euro 2000. It wasn't a great England tournament. They weren't able to make it out of the group stage,

but they did beat Germany 1-0, Charloire, the only match that England won at that tournament. The first time they'd beaten Germany competitively since 1966, let's speak to two men who covered Kevin Keegan's England, the former chairman of the Football Writers Association, Paul Hetherington, and football journalist Henry Winter. Guys, thank you so much for joining us, and we've heard some wonderful tributes all right from players,

but are also interested, Henry, just to hear what he was like to deal with as a journalist. As you guys say, he must have been great copy. He was absolutely fantastic copy and echoing the views of everyone that you've spoken to today, that Kevin was not only a great football man, he was just a great man. He was a great company. He cared for people. I mean, I'm sure Paul will echo this. The amount of events you would go to with Kevin Keegan. I mean, I hosted an event for him at the Charleston and Book Festival.

And Kevin Kagan was, okay, so he was promoting his autobiography, but he was there early. He was smartly dressed. There was only him and the security man there, and I turned up half an hour later, and he was just talking to him, and he knew everything about the security man who was just couldn't believe that he was in, you know, he was just in the company of this superstar. And Kevin Kegan was probably one of our first, you know, along with George Bester, you know, the first British genuine sporting superstars in terms of commercially, in terms of his image, in terms of maximizing that image.

But you know, you mention England. And when I think about Kevin Kagan with England, okay, there was all tactically one or two issues that he had. But what a man of principle that when he felt that he'd taken this team in this country that he loved so much. And he was in the dressing room at the old Wembley when it was about to be ripped down. And Diddy Hamann had just scored that free kick in 2000. He just said, a point of principle, I can't do this any longer.

these players deserve someone else. Not many managers do that. They would have stuck around, got the payoff. That wasn't Kevin. He cared. So a great man as well as a great football man. I remember that day, Paul, when he decided to call time on his time as England manager

and there was that final game at the old Wembley Stadium that Henry was just talking about. That must have been some moment that when Kevin Keegan, England manager, leaves, not long really into the job, only one tournament. Yeah, absolutely, Steve. It's a day that I think any of us who were there reporting the match that day will never forget. Certainly Henry won't either.

You know, the result was bad enough, but the immediate drama after the match when Kevin quit made it a what should we say a very busy day. But, you know, if you were a football writer and you were involved with Kevin Keegan, that's what happened. when you were dealing with Keegan, something happened. There'd be something dramatic. There'd be something either positive or negative, perhaps, to write. But Kevin Keegan was a walking headline. He was a walking intro. He was great to deal with professionally.

I've just written a piece today for the Football Writers Association website. And I've written it very much from the perspective of the media, how journalists worked with Kevin Keegan. And, you know, my... abiding memories of Kevin will be that he was great to deal with. You knew if you went to interview, Kevin, you were going to walk away with a story. He was box office. It was like going to see Sir Alex Ferguson, for instance, at Man United.

Keegan had that magic touch for the media. It's such a shame, Henry, that it didn't work out with him in England. because everything that people, we know what he was like as a manager at his absolute best as well. The way that people describe, he sounds like someone who should be suited to it because so much of it is the way that you inspire,

the way that you talk. And I cannot imagine anybody doing a better job of explaining as somebody the significance of playing for England than Kevin Geegan. Yeah, I mean, take Stephen Gerard, for example. I mean, Gerard, he gave him his debut, he brought him in, and Stephen, at that first,

and he won't mind me saying this. You know, he was a bit homesick in the woods at spa in that, in that Kevin Keehan tournament. Things weren't going particularly well. But because of Kevin's character, maybe the Liverpool connection as well, but because of Kevin's character, the abulience, which Paul was referring to, you know, he lifted people's spirits. I mean, even me as a journalist, I have my fallings out with him over sort of things I wrote about him so tactically with England that weren't, you know, it wasn't working out.

but always the next time you see him he would just he would be a smile he would chat he I mean he didn't really seem to hold grudges he's a great person and also one thing that we slightly forget was what an amazing player he was partly I think because when Kenny Dalglish

came in and replaced him if that's the right word at Liverpool Football Club Kenny then went and won the European Cup and did amazing things with Liverpool but let's not forget and to be fair Liverpool fans absolutely won't forget what an amazing player he was to them then went on to Hamburg

won the Ballon Door, not once, but twice. You know, that doesn't happen often with English players on the Ballon Door. So absolute genius as a player. But also a great role model in terms of someone who made himself, maximised his own talent. His father was a minor. His grandfather was a minor. And he had that work ethic.

And also he was someone who reached for the stars. And yet always kept his feet on the ground. He had this humility, this humour, never got carried away with all the... You know, he played against Pelle. He played against best. He played against all these great people. Maradonna in 1980, I think he was playing in one game against Keegan. And he asked Keegan, went over to Keegan at the end and said, can I have your shirt? You know, so he's got that standing as a player, as a manager and absolutely above all else, as a, as a chum of being on our thoughts very much with Gene and the family tonight. Absolutely. The other string thing that strikes me, Paul, is that sometimes when you talk about players and you look at the era they existed in and you. you think, oh, I wonder if they would have been more suited to A or B. Well, Kevin Kagan was perfectly suited to the era that he played and managed in, wasn't he? I can't imagine him enjoying football the way it is now,

as much as he enjoyed football the way it was when he was playing and managing. You know, the birth of the Premier League was born for Kevin Kagan. Yeah, you're absolutely right. He fitted in perfectly there, didn't he? Even making records as well, didn't he? I think he was on top of the pubs. but I'll tell you a little story about Kevin Keegan, which could have changed his career a bit, this.

When he was at Scunthorpe, he nearly left Scunthorpe to go to a club in the northeast, and it wasn't Newcastle. Sundland were in for him first. I think the fee was going to be 27,000, something like that. Sunland's manager at the time was a guy called Alan Brown, who scouted him heavily, and he told the club,

we've got to go and get this young lad. He's going to be a top player. unfortunately for Sunderland, along came Bill Shankly and Liverpool, and the rest, as they say, is history. And you know, you can't say that Kevin made the wrong decision given what happened with his playing career after that. Which is brilliant insight, guys. Thank you so much for joining us tonight

and paying those tributes and telling those stories. Thank you, fellas. Henry neatly brings us on to his time. The peak of his playing powers there, winning the Ballandoor twice, Whilst at Hamburg, he was there in 1977 to 1980, helped them win their first Bundesliga title, also took them to the final of the European Cup,

where they were beaten by Nottingham Forest, great team under Brian Clough. Let's speak to Seb Stafford Bloch, German football reporter for the Athletic, who is based in Hamburg. Seb, thank you so much for being with us. I wonder how Hamburg will be feeling tonight about the loss of the great Kevin Keegan. Yeah, hi, Steve, thanks for having me on. Desperately sad. We were talking about it with my in-laws,

who remember him playing, first moved to Hamburg when he was, he first joined Hartzfowl. And my father-in-law is a big Hartzvile fan. My mother-in-law, not so much. But Kevin Kagan had the kind of transcendent quality, which meant that he was Hamburgs. He was important to the city.

And yeah, I think everybody feels a very profound sense of loss. We just had this text, actually, and from Jonathan in Lancaster, says, my wife is from Hamburg. We're both in our 60s. We always smile about how many, Hamburg men born in the late 1970s are called Kevin. Oh, I love that, Seb, when something like that happens,

because those are the kind of things that means the story of Kevin Kegan will go on for generations to come because people will be like, why was your dad called Kevin? Why was your granddad? Why are you called Kevin? It's a really lovely story, isn't it? And I think it needs to be, his arrival into German football needs to be put in context. So back then, the Bundesliga only started in 19.

1963, which is kind of the dawn of professionalism in German football. And the trend by 1977 was for the best players to move away to seek big wages, big transfers to Italy to Spain, not yet England, but you take the point. So the idea of someone of Kevin Kegan's stature moving from a club like Liverpool to Hamburg, it was new, it was different. He was a genuine star of the game. When he arrived, he cost five, I suppose the equivalent of about 500,000. thousand pounds, which was double the existing German transfer record. And that's an incredible thing. And you mentioned the back-to-back balance door, the one.

I mean, no Hamburg player had won the Ballandor while at the club before. Nobody has won it since. Nobody is likely to wish that were different. But on their current trajectory, I can't see it happening anytime soon. And so you have this very profound effect mixed with a really hardworking player, I think, keeping charmed German football fans really, because it wasn't easy for him when he first arrived. He was an outsider, didn't speak the language.

It's difficult to move country now. It's certainly a lot harder back then. And yet he persevered, won the Bundesliga title in 1979. And yeah, you have this wonderful little cultural anecdote of if you meet a German person born in the early 80s to the mid 80s and they're called Kevin, most likely it's because of him. So it's a wonderful thing, a wonderful legacy to have. So, just before we let you go, I'm really curious to know that if you went to Hamburg,

if you went to the football club, if you went to the stadium, would you see Kevin Keegan in the way that great players are often represented at the clubs where they were most successful? You know, and the Mighty Mouse nickname fascinates me as well. Yeah, Max Mouse is the Germans call him. Yeah, you certainly would, Steve. So you see his face on stickers all over the city, bus stops, train stations, lamp posts, big staker culture and I mean obviously that's increased since the the sad news that he was on well

broke but it was like that before too and if you go to the vauxbach stadium today you walk around the outer concourse you'll see an enormous mural with his face slightly abstract it's a little bit blurred but you see him with his with his bent arm that familiar key in gold celebration and actually if you ever get the chance to come to hamburg and visit the stadium in the in the stadium museum there's his original locker. So when halfway through his third season, when he decided he was leaving and he was going to Southampton,

just to tease his teammates, he drew kind of little calendar on his on his locker, showing when he would be free, when he'd be going back to England and it was just kind of a little bit of fun with some of his teammates. And it's still there today. You can visit it. They've kept it with all his other little doodles as well. And he's very present.

He's very present. And when he when he spoke that he was unwell, of his old teammates, those that are still with us today, this little video wishing him well. There's an awful lot of goodwill. And I think it reflects, yes, a wonderful person. And I've really enjoyed listening to the tributes on the show so far. But a wonderful player, but a wonderful person. And that's a great way to be remembered, of course. Absolutely. Thank you so much for joining us. Seb Stafford Bloer, German Football Reporter for the Athletic Based in Hamburg. I'm just going to finish our Kevin Keegan Tribute Hour with some

more of your messages. Thank you so much for sending these in. PT says, I was the club doctor at Mansfield Town in the 90s and we drew Newcastle in the cup, a cold night in Mansfield. The game had just started. I was alone in the corridor. The doors swung open, burst open and I was face to face with a guy in a black and white jacket. Even in an empty corridor, an aura shone around Kevin Kegan. As I stumbled over my words, he said, hope I don't need you tonight, Doc. Steve in Whitley Bay has been in touch. Steve says at work, I dealt with people with health conditions who lived abroad. One guy's young son was struggling with his mum's death. He mentioned Kevin Keegan and how he was a hero. I wrote to the club and asked if they had a sticker or a photo that I could send him. A week later, I received a signed photograph from Kevin Keegan.

And more than that, he'd written a personal message to this young lad. And David Nottingham says, the school secretary told me and another pupil once we had to go and see the head teacher. Obviously, I thought I'd done something wrong. I was quaking in my boots. When we got to the heads office, who was there? But Kevin Kagan, they wanted us to help with a green cross code film. He was absolutely lovely, holding our hands, crossing the road, laughing and joking to put us at ease. Well, what a lovely story to finish on. Thank you so much to everybody who has got involved. Thank you for sending us your stories and to everyone who has been involved in our tribute to Kevin Keegan this evening. Kevin Keegan, who has died at the age of 75.

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