Ballon d'Or
Ballon d'Or
Kevin Keegan arrived at Anfield in May 1971 as a 20-year-old from Scunthorpe United, and the Ballon d’Or’s official website has now put his name back in front of football fans.
Bill Shankly signed him in a deal reported at £35,000 after head scout Geoff Twentyman recommended him.
Keegan scored 12 minutes into his debut against Nottingham Forest on 14 August 1971. Shankly converted him from a midfielder into a forward, and he formed a strike partnership with John Toshack.
Success followed. Liverpool won the league title and the UEFA Cup in 1973, the FA Cup in 1974, and another league title and UEFA Cup in 1976.
A third league title came in 1977, along with the club’s first European Cup. Keegan won the penalty that Phil Neal converted in a 3-1 final win over Borussia Monchengladbach, his last appearance for Liverpool.
He left after 323 appearances and 100 goals. Hamburg signed him for a British record £500,000, and Liverpool replaced him with Kenny Dalglish.
His two Ballon d’Or awards came in Germany, not at Anfield. Hamburg finished tenth in the Bundesliga in 1977-78, yet Keegan’s 12 goals earned him the first award. He beat Austria’s Hans Krankl by 87 points to 81.
A year later, his 17 goals helped Hamburg win the Bundesliga. Keegan took a second award with 118 points, well clear of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on 52. He remains the only British player to have won the trophy twice.
Now, according to the Ballon d’Or’s official website, Keegan is one of ten players on the shortlist for the “Ballon d’Or Of All Time”, branded the B.O.A.T. Every player who has won the award at least twice is included.
Fans do not vote for a player. They choose a specific winning year, and Keegan’s 1978 and 1979 triumphs each have their own card. The vote opened on 1 October and closes on 27 October at 23:59 Paris time.
The nomination comes three months after Keegan died on 20 July 2026, aged 75, following a battle with cancer.
The other nominees are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Ronaldo Nazário, Franz Beckenbauer, Alfredo Di Stéfano and Rummenigge. Messi has eight eligible years and Cristiano Ronaldo has five.
Voting requires a €1 contribution, which also gives access to a digital photograph. Fans can vote more than once, and each voter has a chance to win two tickets to the 71st Ballon d’Or ceremony in 2027.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 season at Manchester United leads with 62 per cent of the vote. Keegan’s 1978 and 1979 seasons were each below one per cent in the latest standings reported.
The official result will be published on 28 October on ballondor.com and the Ballon d’Or’s social media channels. The special vote is separate from the main 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, which takes place on 26 October at the London Palladium.
Support DaveOCKOP and enjoy the site completely ad-free. You’ll get an uninterrupted browsing experience while helping us continue to deliver the latest Liverpool news, breaking stories and exclusives. Go ad-free today.