Kevin Keegan, who has just died, can claim to be English football’s first global superstar, even though the game has changed radically since he was in his prime.
And perhaps one of the greatest examples of this was his appearance on the BBC programme Superstars in 1976, in which athletes from various events competed against each other in a series of sporting challenges.
Keegan then was one of the biggest names in English football. Liverpool’s star forward, an England international and soon to become European Footballer of the Year. Yet he threw himself into the challenges at full throttle.
During the cycling event, Keegan crashed heavily, injuring himself in front of the cameras. Rather than withdraw, he carried on, completed the competition and went on to win. It was a moment that summed up both Keegan’s personality and a very different era of sport.
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The idea of a modern footballer doing the same feels almost impossible!
The biggest difference is the value attached to players today. In 1976, even a superstar like Keegan was not a global commercial asset worth hundreds of millions of pounds. A club today would never even contemplate allowing one of its leading player to risk injury in a television challenge involving bicycles, swimming or obstacle courses.
Insurance and financial considerations would quickly come into play. A broken bone or serious injury could cost a club millions and disrupt an entire season. What was seen in Keegan’s day as entertaining competitiveness would now be viewed as an unnecessary risk.
There has also been a change in how footballers are perceived. In the 1970s, the best players were still public figures rather than carefully managed brands. They appeared on television, took part in adverts and interacted more freely with supporters. Keegan’s willingness to make himself look foolish was part of his appeal. He was competitive, but he also understood the importance of entertaining people.
Today, players are far more protected. Their schedules, public appearances and even social media output are carefully managed. A modern club would have to consider sponsorship commitments, insurance policies and the potential impact on a player’s reputation before allowing such an appearance.
The difference is not that today’s players are less brave. They operate in a far more demanding physical environment, with greater expectations placed on fitness, recovery and performance. But the idea of a football superstar crashing off a bike on prime-time television and carrying on would now seem almost unthinkable.
Keegan’s Superstars appearance belongs to a time when footballers were still entertainers first and carefully managed global brands second. It was an era when fans saw more of the person behind the player — and when a painful crash could become part of a footballer’s legend rather than a crisis to be managed.