Kevin Keegan has died; the world of soccer has lost one of its kings
The soccer world mourns the passing of Kevin Keegan, who died at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer diagnosed just a few months ago. Keegan’s family announced the news, asking for the utmost discretion during this difficult time. Keegan, one of the icons of English soccer both as a player and as a coach who achieved significant success, is survived by his wife Jean and their two daughters, Laura Jane and Sarah.
Considered one of the best European soccer players of the 1970s, Keegan played nearly 750 club matches, winning three English league titles with Liverpool and claiming two consecutive Ballon d’Or awards in 1978 and 1979, while leading Hamburg to the top of the Bundesliga. With the English national team, he scored 21 goals in 63 appearances, becoming a technical and charismatic leader, earning him the nickname “King Kev.”
After retiring, in 1992, he began his coaching career by taking over a struggling Newcastle side and, after saving it from relegation to the third division, led it back to the Premier League, bringing it within a hair’s breadth of the title in 1996 against Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary Manchester United. Keegan embodied the emotional and visceral identity of Newcastle like few others, so much so that he returned in 2008 for one last, brief stint, albeit one marked by tensions with the ownership.
Between 1999 and 2000, he also managed the English national team, navigating a difficult period that led to elimination in the group stage of Euro 2000 and his resignation following a loss to Germany in the final match played at the old Wembley Stadium. He subsequently coached Manchester City, leading them back to the Premier League in 2002, before leaving the club in 2005 and announcing his first retirement from soccer.
Keegan was a champion, a legend, and a man who left his mark on different eras of English soccer with equal intensity—first on the field and then on the bench. His passing leaves a huge void for all those who love English soccer.
