"We deserved to win
this game after hammering them 0-0 in the first half"
- Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan Biography
– Introduction In most countries, choosing the greatest
player of all times is an easy job. In Brazil it's Pele, in Portugal
it's Eusebio, in Argentina it's Maradona,
in the Netherlands it's Cruyff and so forth. In England, things get
tricky, because you have ruyffa bunch of outstanding players that are
very close together value-wise.
Keegan is one of these players and although no one will "dare"
name him England's
best player over Bobby Charlton, Bobby Robson or Gary
Lineker, he's definitely "ONE of the best". This Kevin Keegan biography
will take you through the life and career of this outstanding forward.
Full
name
Joseph
Kevin Keegan
Date
of birth
February
14, 1951
Place
of birth
Armthorpe,
Doncaster, England
Height
5.8FT
- 1.73M
Playing
position
Forward
Kevin Keegan Biography
– Scuntorphe United Born near
the town of Doncaster, Keegan's
dream was to play for local Doncaster Rovers, but unfortunately for
them, they turned him down when he went on to a trial for the
team’s youth squad.
Although a bit disappointed, Keegan continued to train with the Enfield
House Youth Club, before being spotted by Scuntorphe United in 1967, at
age 16. He only needed one year at the youth club to impress the senior
team's manager, Bill Shankly, who took him to the first squad and
started playing him regularly, despite his tender age. Although the
stats in his first 3 seasons aren't necessarily impressive (18 goals in
124 league games), Kevin Keegan was never a pure penalty box
striker like Gary Lineker for example.
He was more
of a creator of chances than a finisher and his talent and
creativity brought him in Liverpool's spotlight, who bought the young
player in 1971.
Season
Club
Games
Goals
1968-1971
Scunthorpe
United
124
18
1971-1977
Liverpool
230
68
1977-1980
Hamburger
SV
90
32
1980-1982
Southampton
68
37
1982-1984
Newcastle
United
78
48
1968-1984
Career
590
203
Kevin
Keegan Biography – Liverpool The
Liverpool fans embraced him
with both
hands and they enjoyed his charismatic playing style.
Here there was no pressure to score and an assist that ended up with a
goal from his colleagues was equally satisfying for Keegan.
In 1973 the English national team's coach finally gave Keegan a change
to play for England and he was a constant first team member ever since
his debut. For Liverpool, Kevin Keegan's goals and assists were a
serious contribution to the team winning the League Title after 7 years
of drought as well as the UEFA Cup and in the following year (1974),
the FA Cup.
Another
satisfaction that year was playing against the team that almost
crushed his childhood dreams of being a professional soccer player,
Doncaster Rover. Keegan's goals earned Liverpool a 2-2 draw that day,
but only one player on the pitch had a grin on his face, having scored
twice against a childhood
nightmare.
Years
National
Team
Games
Goals
1973-1982
England
63
21
Kevin Keegan Biography
– Hamburg SV & Return to England In
1977 after Keegan helped
Liverpool win the
League, European Cup and go into the FA Cup final, he made a decision
that would leave him and the Liverpool fans with watery eyes: he moved
abroad to play for Hamburg SV in Germany, after 7 successful seasons
with the English team.
His move to Hamburg proved to be an immediate impact for the club and
the soccer player, Keegan helping the German side win their first ever
national title. He was also named European Footballer of the Year twice
in 1978 and 1979 while playing for Hamburg as he almost single-handedly
turned a mid-table club into one that would win the German
league and reach the European Cup final.
After 3 successful seasons with Hamburg, Keegan decided to come back to
England in 1980, where he would play for underdogs Southampton for
another two seasons.
That seems
to be a trademark in Keegan's career, moving from a top club
to an underdog. He moved from European Cup winners Liverpool to a
smaller team in Germany, Hamburg. When Hamburg earned a new status and
got into the European Cup final, Keegan decided to move to Southampton,
a team that was fresh to come inthe first division in England.
In 1982,
after a squabble with Southampton coach McMenemy (some say the
squabble was due to the fact that Keegan would not participate in a
fixed match against Aston Villa) he moved even lower, in the Second
Division, to
play for Newcastle United. Despite playing only
two seasons here, he was revered (and still is) as a God there as he
helped the team promote in the first League.
