Former England captain and manager Kevin Keegan has died at the age of 75, his former club Newcastle United said on Monday. The club described him as “one of the most iconic, influential and deeply loved figures in our club’s history.” Keegan was one of English football’s most decorated players, starring for Liverpool and Newcastle United.
Keegan later moved into management, revitalizing Newcastle United and taking the club to the brink of the Premier League title in the mid-1990s. He signed Alan Shearer for a world-record fee in 1996, and the striker went on to become both Newcastle and the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer. Keegan also signed Faustino Asprilla for Newcastle in 1996, who became part of the side that challenged for the Premier League title.
Tributes have poured in from across the football world following Keegan’s death. Faustino Asprilla posted on X, saying “Kevin wasn’t just a football manager to me – he was the man who introduced me to the Premier League and made me fall in love with the beautiful city of Newcastle.” Newcastle United fans have been paying tribute to Keegan, with many remembering him as a true legend of the sport. His family said in a statement, “It is with immense sadness that we announce that Kevin Keegan has passed away at the age of 75.”
