AS a man that wore his heart on his sleeve, Kevin Keegan would have appreciated the outpouring of grief about his passing on July 20, 2026. Whether you were a Liverpool fan or not, Keegan was the sort of footballer that commanded respect, a hard-worker that maximised the return on his talent, a team player who scored and created goals and captain of England, he became the top star in British football in the early 1970s. Keegan was likeable, humble and professional, at his peak a veritable jumping bean of a player who always gave 100%.
Game of the People has featured Keegan regularly over the past 14 years and here are some excerpts to provide some colour on an exceptional individual.
On Keegan’s place:
Keegan, like [Alan] Hudson, was born in 1951, but unlike the Chelsea man, he had to work his way through Doncaster and Scunthorpe before arriving at Liverpool in 1971. Keegan’s energy and charisma transformed a Liverpool team that had struggled to live up to its mid-1960s success under Bill Shankly and became British football’s face of the mid-1970s, a new icon for the post-1960s era and a more wholesome, blokey and, dare we say, safer successor to George Best. He was not as talented as Best or even Hudson, but he was marketable.
Keegan also knew his worth and had opened his mind to a transactional football career, not unlike Johan Cruyff, who had long identified that being the top man in a team brought with it a certain portability and market value. In 1977, after a year of “this is my last season, because it is time to move on”, Keegan relocated to Hamburg and not only earned multiples of his Liverpool salary, but also became a European name. He was also smart enough to learn German and recognise that Hamburg was not forever. He returned to English football and played for Southampton and Newcastle, both transactions that gave him enormous publicity and value.
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On his first games with Liverpool:
Liverpool were in something of a holding position in 1971. Their last trophy was the Football League Championship in 1966 and they had been overtaken by neighbours Everton and Don Revie’s Leeds United. The team that reached the FA Cup final in 1971 included a new find in Steve Heighway, but there was something missing – upfront, Alun Evans had never quite lived up to expectations since being signed for £ 100,000 from Wolves in September 1968 as an 18 year-old, and Shankly’s last big signing, John Toshack, needed a partner to work alongside with in attack. Keegan would, eventually, provide the perfect foil.
Keegan cost just £ 35,000 at the end of 1970-71. He was just 20, so it seemed likely he would sit on the sidelines in his first season. He performed well on the club’s pre-season tour of Scandinavia and, despite being exhausted by the training regime at Anfield in his early days at the club, he was knocking on the door for a first team place. “He’s shattered at the moment,” said Shankly. “But he’s not the first new man to suffer in this respect.”
Some felt that Keegan’s versatility would be a better choice than 29 year-old Ian Callaghan, who had been with Liverpool since the late 1950s. Callaghan, Evans, Brian Hall and Bobby Graham were all left out of Liverpool’s starting line-up for the season’s opening league game against Nottingham Forest. Keegan was included: “He’s quick, good in the air and has two good feet,” said Shankly, explaining why the new lad was in the team. Liverpool had struggled to score goals in pre-season and they had been less than prolific in 1970-71. “I have not the slightest doubts about playing him,” insisted Shankly.
Keegan was described as a “young man in a hurry” by some segments of the media and so it proved in that first game against Forest. Keegan almost arrived late for kick-off because he wasn’t used to negotiating big crowds, but he admitted he was not as nervous as he expected to be. “The pace was terrific and I had to take an occasional two-minute breather, but the other lads helped me out tremendously,” Keegan told the local press.It took 12 minutes for the new boy to make his mark, finishing off a move that saw Toshack send in a low cross and Keegan sweeping the ball into the net. The perfect introduction to the Kop, who ended the game chanting, “we’re going to win the league.”
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On leaving Liverpool:
Keegan was about to drop a bombshell on Liverpool. He effectively gave the club 12 months’ notice that he wanted to move – abroad. It became something of a media circus for the next 12 months. Every now and then, Keegan’s interviews would be punctuated with comments like, “because it’s time for me to go” something which started to irritate some Anfield patrons.
At the end of 1976-77, Liverpool deservedly won the holy grail of the European Cup and retained their title. They were denied an historic treble when they were beaten 2-1 in the FA Cup final by Manchester United. Keegan had a good last season at Anfield, scoring 20 goals in 57 games. Toshack, though, missed the finale, although still scored 13 goals in 22 games – his last Liverpool goal coming in February in a 3-1 home win against Derby. Both players were coming to the end of the time at the club. Keegan permed his hair and went to Hamburg, describing it as “the most important step of my life”.
On the move to Germany:
When Kevin Keegan signalled he was leaving the English champions to try his luck abroad, Hamburg were the first club to show an interest. Keegan had been very vocal about his intentions, almost inviting Europe’s big clubs to “come and get me”, but in truth, Hamburg would not have been on anyone’s list of likely buyers. Keegan moved to Germany and earned Liverpool a £ 500,000 fee. On a personal basis, he secured a lucrative deal that amounted to multiples of his Liverpool contract and his status as an international superstar meant his total earnings were around a quarter of a million pounds. Unlike some big names, Keegan knew how to manage his career and always gave 100% on the field.
The Hamburg side that Keegan walked into was a tight-knit group, almost a clique. There was some resentment around the arrival of the poodle-haired England striker, as well as the other main signing, the Yugoslavian defender, Ivan Buljan from Hajduk Split. Keegan’s first season was disappointing, although he still won the European Footballer of the Year award in 1978 and the great Hamburg experiment almost ended after a year. His Bundesliga debut was not in the script, a 5-2 defeat at Duisburg, and it took a few games before Keegan netted his first league goal. But the problems went quite deep, Keegan himself felt he was not getting the ball enough and by lining-up in midfield, the club wasn’t getting the best out of their new man. Keegan knew it, the fans knew it, but the management was slow to react to the divisions in the dressing room or the fact they had an unhappy star man. The Hamburg side was mostly German as only two foreigners were allowed per team. Keegan’s relationship with the management was also rather strained and after a poor campaign, he gave the club an ultimatum – use me properly or I will have to leave. Real Madrid, apparently, were waiting in the wings.
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On leading Newcastle in 1995-96:
On April 28, Manchester United thrashed Nottingham Forest 5-0 to restore the six-point advantage, Newcastle won the next day, beating Leeds at Elland Road by 1-0, a goal coming from the forgotten man, Keith Gillespie. But it was events off the field that commanded the headlines that evening. Alex Ferguson made some comments about Leeds United’s players, accusing them of letting their manager, Howard Wilkinson, down. It was clearly an attempt to play psychological games with the Leeds players ahead of their clash with Newcastle. Ferguson didn’t rest there, though, posing a question about Newcastle’s next opponents, Nottingham Forest and wondering if they would be at their best against them as Keegan had agreed to send a team to play Forest for Stuart Pearce’s testimonial. If it was designed to undermine Newcastle it worked, for Keegan commented that Ferguson had gone too far. “He’s gone down in my estimation,” he said on TV. “We’re still fighting for this title, and he’s [Ferguson] got to go to Middlesbrough and get something, and… and… I’ll tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them, love it!”
Kevin Keegan – the facts
Born February 14, 1951, died July 20, 2026.
Clubs: Doncaster Rovers, Scunthorpe United, Liverpool, Hamburg, Southampton, Newcastle United.
England (1972 to 1982): 63 caps, 21 goals. Captain 31 times.
Honours: Football League championship winner 1973, 1976 and 1977. FA Cup winner 1977. European Cup winner 1977. UEFA Cup winner 1973 and 1976. Bundesliga winner 1979.
Ballon d’Or winner 1978 and 1979.