England legend Kevin Keegan has died of cancer at the age of 75.
Former England player and manager Kevin Keegan has died at the age of 75 after battling cancer. Keegan's family announced in January that he had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. The legendary striker won the Ballon d'Or twice in 1978 and 1979.
Kevin Keegan passed away at the age of 75.
In January this year, Keegan's family announced that the former England player and manager had been diagnosed with stage four cancer and revealed that he would begin treatment.
Keegan's family wrote in a statement: "It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of Kevin Keegan at the age of 75."
"The former England player and manager had been battling cancer, and his wife and daughters were by his side in his final moments."
"Kevin was a two-time Ballon d'Or winner and a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. The family thanks Kevin's excellent medical team for all their support. This is an extremely difficult time, and they ask for space and privacy."
Keegan was considered one of the best players of his generation, enjoying a brilliant playing career. He made nearly 750 club appearances, winning the English top-flight league four times with Liverpool, and won the Ballon d'Or consecutively in 1978 and 1979 while playing for Hamburg in the Bundesliga.
Seven years after retiring, Keegan began his first managerial role in February 1992, taking charge of a struggling Newcastle United. Newcastle were in danger of relegation to the third tier, but Keegan guided them to safety and led them to promotion to the Premier League in his first full season. Then, in 1996, he brought Newcastle within a whisker of their first top-flight title since 1927.
For much of the 1995-96 season, Newcastle United were favorites to win the Premier League, at one point leading Manchester United by 12 points. But Keegan's team then dramatically collapsed, and with Alex Ferguson's Manchester United winning 13 of their last 15 games, Newcastle ultimately finished second, four points behind.
After losing to Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the closing stages, Manchester United eventually overtook them. The pressure on Keegan was growing, and he was desperate to bring a championship to the passionate Newcastle fans. His famous "I would love it if we beat them" quote, uttered in a post-match interview after an away win against Leeds United, directed at Ferguson and others, regrettably became an iconic image of his time at St James' Park.
Keegan managed the England national team from February 1999 to October 2000. As a player, he made 63 appearances for England, scoring 21 goals. In the last match at the old Wembley Stadium, England lost 0-1 to Germany, and Keegan resigned minutes after the match.
During Keegan's tenure as national team manager, England were eliminated in the group stage of Euro 2000. Although they defeated Germany 1-0, losses to Portugal and Romania led to mounting pressure. Four months later, in their opening match of the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, England were again defeated by a Didi Hamann free-kick.
Keegan then managed Manchester City, leading them to promotion to the Premier League in 2002 as champions of the English second tier. However, Keegan left Manchester City in March 2005, initially announcing his retirement from football.
In 2008, Keegan made an emotional return to Newcastle United, but due to tensions with the board and owner Mike Ashley, he resigned after only eight months.
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