Kevin Keegan death: England football legend dies aged 75

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The Independent

20 July 2026

Kevin Keegan

, the former

England

footballer and manager and a legendary figure at both

Liverpool

and

Newcastle United

, has died at the age of 75.

It was announced in January that Keegan

had been diagnosed with cancer

, with his family revealing he was to begin treatment. Keegan said in June that he had

been diagnosed with stage four cancer

, adding that he wanted to attend a match at Newcastle’s St James’ Park to say “goodbye”.

A statement was published on behalf of the Keegan family by the

Sky Sports

journalist Pete Graves on Monday afternoon, confirming Keegan had passed away while surrounded by his wife and two daughters.

open image in gallery

Kevin Keegan has died at the age of 75 following a battle with cancer (Getty)

“It is with immense sadness that we announce that Kevin Keegan has passed away at the age of 75,” the statement said.

“The former

player and manager had been battling cancer and was surrounded by his wife and daughters in his final moments.

“Kevin, a double Ballon D’or winner, was a much loved husband, father and grandfather. The family would like to thank Kevin’s incredible medical team for all their support.

“This is a hugely difficult time and they are requesting space and privacy.”

Most revered for his feats as a manager at

Newcastle

and as a player at

, Keegan forged a successful career that included three First Division titles, one FA Cup, one European Cup, and two Uefa Cups as well as two Bundesliga titles between the years of 1968 and 1984.

Newcastle led the tributes and said: “We are devastated to learn of the passing of Kevin Keegan, one of the most iconic, influential and deeply loved figures in our club’s history. Kevin was more than a legendary footballer and manager. He was the beating heart of

for generations of supporters.”

“Liverpool FC is deeply saddened and mourning the passing of the legendary Kevin Keegan,” the Reds said. “The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Kevin's family and friends at this hugely difficult time... Our 'Mighty Mouse', his legacy at Liverpool will be forever etched in history.”

Keegan is one of English football’s greatest ever players (Getty)

Keegan was at the heart of the start of Liverpool’s dominant era (Getty)

Keegan’s traits as a forward was founded on his pace and ability with the ball, and he formed a formidable ‘little and large’ strike partnership with John Toshack, and was at the heart of Liverpool’s prosperous side in the 1970s under Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.

As a manager, Keegan took Newcastle from the second tier into the Premier League and to their best-ever second finish, earning the nickname ‘King Kev’, and signed some of the club’s most iconic players, including Alan Shearer. Newcastle’s record goalscorer simply posted: “My Hero. My manager. My friend. Sleep easy Boss.”

Aside from an iconic 1970’s bubble perm, Keegan is arguably best known for his “I will love it” rant from 1996, when he took the bait and

publicly criticised Sir Alex Ferguson’s comments

, although Manchester United had the last laugh

when they went on to win the league title

, with the Magpies finishing second.

Born in 1951 in Armthorpe, Doncaster, and the son of a miner, Keegan has told the tale of using his brother’s pram as a goalpost. While his father might have been a Newcastle fan, because they had moved before Keegan’s birth, he would grow up supporting local side Doncaster Rovers.

Compared to most modern footballers, Keegan had an unorthodox journey to the top of the game. Rather than coming through an established club academy, he started his career at Scunthorpe in 1968 as an apprentice, having been spotted the previous year playing in local leagues, he made his debut against Peterborough at the age of 17, and went on to make 29 league starts in his first season.

In his autobiography, Keegan mentions the club’s low wages forcing him into summer jobs, such as plate-laying in the local area. But in 1971, Keegan had caught the eye of Liverpool’s chief scout Geoff Twentyman, and he was signed by Bill Shankly for a reported figure of £35,000, having scored 18 goals in 124 appearances in the midfield for Scunthorpe.

Keegan won the Ballon d’Or twice while playing for German club Hamburg (Getty)

Shankly cultivated Keegan’s talent, reportedly telling him after just three days of training at Melwood ‘you will play for England’, something that in fact happened only the following year when Keegan made his debut against Wales at Cardiff.

Keegan joined Liverpool at a time Shankly was cultivating what would become one of the dominant forces in European football, and when he left in 1978 for Hamburg there were not many pieces of silverware the club had not lifted.

In his 230 appearances for the club and 68 goals, Keegan had three league titles, two Uefa cups, one FA Cup, and one European Cup, won in his final season, and under Shankly’s successor, Paisley.

Keegan was signed by legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly (PA)

“Liverpool made me, not just as a footballer but as a person,” Keegan said in 2011. "The people I met – Shanks, Tommy Smith, Ian Callaghan, Ron Yeats – all these people you take something from. The fans made me. When they started singing my name… what am I, five foot seven with Cuban-heeled boots? But [because of them] I was six foot six."

But during his time at Liverpool, aside from the heroics, trophies and memorable goals, one moment also stood out: his sending off in the 1974 Charity Shield match for a fight with Leeds’ Billy Bremner became the first-ever red card in the fixture and become one of Wembley’s most iconic moments.

Billy Bremner and Keegan removed their shirts in protest at the red card in the Charity Shield match, in one of Wembley’s most iconic moments (Getty Images)

Keegan joined Hamburg in 1977 for a then-German transfer record of £500,000 and went on to win two Bundesliga titles before coming back to

and playing for Southampton, then Newcastle. Hamburg said: With Kevin Keegan, world football loses one of its most defining personalities. We will always cherish an honorable memory of our former champion and two-time Ballon d'Or winner.”

During his playing career, Keegan played against a 19-year-old Diego Maradona, with whom he exchanged shirts at the end of a match, and a 38-year-old Pele. He tangled with the likes of Johan Cruyff, George Best and

Michel Platini

, and won the Ballon d’Or in 1978 and 1979. He is one of only four Englishman to win world football’s most prestigious individual award, and the only one to do twice.

His

career, however, was affected by the side’s inability to qualify for tournaments, and injury. Keegan earned 63 caps for the national side, scoring 21 goals and captained the team on 31 occasions until his international retirement after the 1982 World Cup, at the age of just 31. Keegan’s only World Cup appearance was limited to just 26 minutes as

were knocked out by Spain, with the forward dealing with a back injury that prevented him featuring in the group stages.

(PA)

Keegan exchanges shirts with a teenage Diego Maradona after an International friendly match between

and Argentina on May 13, 1980 (Getty Images)

Keegan might have only played for Newcastle for two seasons, but he was popular with the supporters, and it was there he finished his English professional career at the age of 33. But it was a relationship that prepared for him to take the managerial reigns at the club almost eight years later.

At the time Newcastle were battling relegation in the second tier of English football, and Keegan not only saved the club from slipping further down the football pyramid, but into the Premier League for the 1993-94 campaign the following year.

In 1996, the club finished second, their still-highest ever Premier League finish, and Keegan would make a key signing before his departure the following year, the return of Newcastle-born Shearer one year after he became a Premier League champion with Blackburn Rovers.

Kevin Keegan brought Alan Shearer back to Newcastle, who went on to become the club’s record goalscorer (Getty Images)

Keegan was loved as a manager at Newcastle and was known as ‘King Kev’ (Getty)

Keegan’s battle with Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United is one of the great Premier League title races (PA)

Keegan taught Newcastle how to dream. “Kevin was one of the few who connected, especially with Newcastle fans, he had in abundance, passion, he gave everything,” said the former striker Micky Quinn. “He got within a whisker of winning a Premier League. He loved the fans. A working class connection - very few ever get that connection - that love and warmth from the fans and back. They adored him."

After a short break, Keegan took charge at Fulham, but he was appointed

manager in February 1999. He memorably resigned after defeat at the hands of Germany in the last match played at the old Wembley, resigning five minutes after the match after just 20 months in charge.

Keegan’s tenure as

manager was in the latter stages of his career, he went on to manage Manchester City, before declaring his retirement from the sport in 2005.

However, one club tempted him back into the fold and he returned to St James’ Park in January 2008, but he publicly split from the board and he left in September of the same year, and Keegan’s public spat with Mike Ashley proved an irreparable difference.

Keegan took a back seat from the limelight and aside from a few dinner events, spent time with his wife, Jean, and two daughters, Laura and Sarah.

Kevin Keegan latest: Tuchel releases statement as Liverpool and Newcastle icon dies after cancer diagnosis

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Football365

Kevin Keegan: Liverpool and Newcastle lead emotional tributes to English football icon 'King Kev'

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Kevin Keegan: England and Liverpool legend dies aged 75 after cancer battle

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