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Birthdate:
14.02.1951
Birthplace: Armthorpe, England
Other clubs: Scunthorpe, Hamburg SV, Southampton, Newcastle
Bought from: Scunthorpe
Signed for LFC: £33000 10.05.1971
International debut: 15.11.1972 vs. Wales
International caps: 63/21 (29/7 at LFC) - 05.07.1982
Liverpool debut:
14.08.1971
Last appearance: 25.05.1977
Debut goal: 14.08.1971
Last goal: 03.05.1977
Contract expiry: 03.06.1977
LFC league games/goals: 230 / 68
Total LFC games/goals: 323 / 100
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Player Notes:
Keegan joined Scunthorpe as an apprentice in 1968 and made his name as a midfield player playing 120 league games. He was signed by Liverpool when the club was busy preparing for its FA cup final date with Arsenal at Wembley. Andy Beattie, Bill Shankly's former team-mate at Preston and the man he ultimately replaced as manager of Huddersfield Town, drummed Kevin's name into the famous Scot time and again and eventually, as Bill later recalled in his autobiography "I decided to sign him. I had to, because Andy was so sure about Kevin". Shankly knew he had signed a player of exceptional potential but the 20 year old Yorkshireman was left behind when Liverpool flew off on their traditional pre-season tour. Four days before the 1971-72 season was due to open, Shankly picked Keegan for the first-team in a full-scale practice match at Melwood, normally a game where fitness is more important than the result. But Kevin created havoc that day and Shankly had no hesitation in giving him his debut against Nottingham Forest at Anfield the following Saturday when the league season opened. He scored after 12 minutes and after netting 3 times in the opening 5 league fixtures, it was clear that he was in the first-team to stay. In fact, Keegan never played in a single reserve fixture during the whole of his seven seasons at Anfield!
Defeat at Derby and a controversial draw at Arsenal in the last two First Division games of Kevin's debut season cost him a championship medal. But he only had to wait another 12 months to achieve that and added a UEFA cup winners' medal too when his early strikes in the re-arranged home leg of the final against Borussia Monchengladbach were the platform for the club's eventual aggregate victory, the club's first in a European club competition. He also received the first of numerous international caps during that season when picked for a World Cup qualifier with Wales at Ninian Park, Cardiff on the 15th of November 1972. In 1973-74 he played in every one of the 61 competitive matches Liverpool played in the league and three cup competitions, contributing 19 goals. Six of those came in the successful FA cup run, including two crucial strikes against his home-town club Doncaster Rovers, bottom of the old Fourth Division at the time, who threatened to make one of the biggest upsets in the cup's history when they took a 2-1 interval lead at Anfield, only to be pegged back by Keegan's second-half equaliser. Ever the man for the big occasion, he produced a sensational volley past Peter Shilton in the replayed semi-final victory over Leicester City at Villa Park and then repeated his two-goal cup final appearance of the previous year in the one-sided Wembley showdown with Newcastle United.
The 1974-75 season started badly for him, perhaps the lowest point of an illustrious career. Sent off during a pre-season match against Kaiserslautern in West Germany, he also received his marching orders 4 days later after clashing with Billy Bremner in the Charity Shield at Wembley. Perhaps because the traditional curtain-raiser to the season was being played at the national stadium for the first time but also because both he and Bremner took off their shirts as they left the field, both men received lengthy bans and although Kevin was allowed to play in the opening league match at Luton, he didn't play in the First Division again until October. But he quickly found his old form and played in the remaining 33 First Division fixtures as the Reds finished runners-up to Derby County. With goals hard to come by that season (Toshack was the club's leading scorer in the League with just 12), how crucial his absence was in the early part of that season, especially when the team was beaten 3 times in 4 games during September. In 1976 Liverpool repeated their League & UEFA cup 'double' of 1973 and again Kevin was prominent, only missing one First Division game and scoring in both legs of the European final against Bruges. "Mighty Mouse" was voted Footballer of the year in 1975/76, and then gave a season's notice, announcing he was moving to Germany.
At a time when it was almost unheard of for English players to try their luck abroad, this caused some friction at the time but nobody could doubt his commitment to the cause whenever he pulled a Liverpool jersey over his head. He was the club's leading scorer in the league and contributed valuable goals as the team reached the finals of both the FA and European cups. With the championship clinched in the penultimate league match, a historic treble triumph beckoned but Manchester United ruined that dream and it was just a question of whether the players could lift themselves for one last effort in the European cup final only 4 days later. In Rome, Kevin played his heart out and ran himself and Berti Vogts! into the ground. Eight minutes from time, he started a typical run from 40 or so yards out, which was only ended by the German international's foul in the penalty-area. Phil Neal converted the spot-kick to seal probably the most famous triumph in the club's history.
£500,000 was a record fee for a British footballer and he was the most expensive player in the Bundesliga. He soon stamped his authority on the German Bundesliga, winning the German Championship in his second season at Hamburg SV and celebrating two consecutive European Footballer of the year awards, after being the runner-up his last season at Liverpool! In his last season he featured in the European Cup final against Nottm Forest but lost 0-1. He stayed three years in Germany, moving to Southampton for £420,000 in the 1980/81 season. In his second season he was the 1st division's top-scorer and voted Player of the year by his fellow professionals. After two years at Southampton he was on his way to Newcastle for £100,000, where he stayed until his retirement in 1984, after playing 78 matches and scoring 48 goals.
8 years later he became manager of Newcastle, left the club 5 years later after one First division title and one season as runners-up in the Premiership as his highlights. Keegan was one year in charge at Fulham, before taking over as England's manager in February 1999. He was England's surpremo for 1 1/2 year before being sacked after England failed miserably in Euro 2000. In May 2001, Keegan was appointed manager of Manchester City, winning the 1st division title and even though he never reached the heights he had hoped for with City he still tried to entertain the audience as he did as a player.
Keegan was an incredible player, tireless in showing off his talents and his enthusiasm invariably made his team mates more determined to succeed. He was a smashing success at every club he played. Dangerous in the air despite a comparative lack of height, he had a wonderful understanding with big John Toshack during his early seasons at Anfield and his speed of thought created numerous goals for his colleagues with his intelligent runs and passing. Kevin Keegan should rightly be remembered as one of the finest players ever to wear a Liverpool shirt. |
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