Fans of Newcastle United and Liverpool F.C. gathered at St. James' Park for an emotional tribute to the late Kevin Keegan, a celebrated figure for both clubs. Ahead of their Premier League clash on Sunday, supporters held a mosaic and observed a minute's silence in memory of the football legend, who passed away last month at the age of 75 after a battle with stomach cancer.
Both Newcastle and Liverpool players wore shirts emblazoned with 'Keegan 7' during their warm-up. Fans waved flags bearing Keegan's name, with some traveling supporters from Liverpool referencing his time under manager Bill Shankly. A large tifo depicting 'King Kev' throughout his career was displayed as the teams entered the pitch.
Keegan, a former England international, enjoyed a distinguished playing career that began at Scunthorpe before moving to Liverpool, where he won three First Division titles, a European Cup, and two UEFA Cups. He earned 63 caps for England, scoring 21 goals. He was also twice awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1978 and 1979.
His managerial career included two stints at Newcastle, guiding them to promotion to the Premier League and narrowly missing out on the title. He also managed England, Manchester City, and Fulham.
Newcastle defender Dan Burn shared his experience of meeting Keegan months before his death. "He invited us down to go down and have lunch with him, so it was amazing to meet him. He was a great person," Burn said. "I think people say don't meet your heroes, but he was just such a great guy. He was wanting to know about me and my family, just full of stories and a great person to be around, so it was a shock when that happened in the summer."
Keegan's career also saw him play in Germany for Hamburg, where he won the Bundesliga and reached the European Cup final. He concluded his playing days with appearances for Australian side Blacktown City. Across his career, Keegan scored 204 goals in 592 appearances for six clubs.
Keegan is survived by his wife of 51 years, Jean, and their daughters Laura Jane and Sarah Marie.