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The Keeg, The Keegster, The Keegmeister, The Keegalator, The Keegachute Payment,Robokeeg,Keegocop

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ohhh_yeah

ohhh_yeah 2991

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One-On-One

Your questions answered by footy’s biggest legends!

from 4-4-2

Kevin Keegan

 

 

You were rejected as a youth by Doncaster for being too small. What would you be doing today if you hadn’t been picked up by Scunthorpe?

Glenn Poore, Dartford

I’d be making taps. I know that because I took a job at Pegler before I got signed up to play football. You know when you go into a public toilet and push down the taps, and a bit of water comes out, and just as you put your hands underneath, the water stops? We made those taps. So I’d have been tap dancing.

 

When and where were you happiest?

Mike Clarke, Waterloo, Liverpool

Everywhere! Liverpool: wow. Hamburg: fantastic. Newcastle to finish my career: unbelievable. Southampton was exhilarating, because we were a load of old guys coming to the end of our careers, and still beating people. Great fun! Scunthorpe was great, too. You look back on your schooldays as the happiest days of your life, and they probably were. I’ve been happy everywhere.

 

I heard a story about you and Tommy Smith arguing about a pair of white boots at Anfield. Can you enlighten us?

Ian McDougall, Glasgow

I got offered white boots by Hummel for quite a lot of money, and I asked Tommy what he thought because I respected him – he was like a father figure. Hardly anyone wore them in those days and he said I’d look like a prat. Alan Ball was wearing them, but Tommy said they looked OK with white socks but daft with red ones. Then a week or two later, Tommy was wearing the same boots! He said to me “I can’t turn down that money at my age. They’ll all come knocking at your door, Kevin – Adidas, Puma, Gola – but I need to take this offer.” In the end his white boots ended up a bit red. I was never sure if he dyed them, or whether it was blood…

 

Who’s the best player you played with and against?

Olly, via email

Cruyff was the best player I played with. He was the cleverest player ever. When he was playing well he would run the show, and when he wasn’t playing well – which was rare – he would stick to the mundane things and work for the team. He could be a soldier and he could be a general. He had no ego, and that’s a sign of greatness to me. The best players I ever faced? I’d put Pele and Maradona in there together. I played against Pele when he was 38 and Maradona when he was 17. Pele would have the edge in life, because he’s handled himself so well.

 

In 1977 you could have moved to any club in the world. Why Germany, and why Hamburg?

Mike Shepherd, Colchester

I’d dispute that I could have moved to any club in the world. In 1977 there were no English players abroad and they weren’t perceived as a good investment. Only John Charles had done really well. Hamburg was the only offer I got, and that’s where I went. They phoned me up. I said I wanted to leave Liverpool. I felt I was stagnating there, even though I loved the club, the fans and the players. I needed a change, I’m not a character who stays at one club for all his life. Hamburg offered me four times the salary that I was on, which was incredible. So financially it was right, and my wife spoke German, which was a great start. I thought, that’s the challenge I want.

 

Footballers today would never get involved in something daft like Superstars. Do you think some of the fun has been sucked out of the game?

Ralph, Ilminster

I think footballers would love to get involved if they were allowed to! I’m sure what happened to me [Keegan fell off his bike on the show and spent four days in hospital] changed the way people looked at it. Someone probably should have been sued over that. But it was fun. I took on boxers, skiers, table tennis players. It was a fantastic couple of days but the sad thing for me was that I was ill afterwards and missed the final in America. I’d have loved to have gone – I’d have been the first footballer to win one – but my wife wouldn’t let me go. She said: “You nearly killed yourself once, that’s it!”

 

Spain 82 – your header sails wide. As you’re kneeling on the ground, what are you thinking?

Snipsy, South London

As I headed it, I thought “goal!” because I don’t usually miss from there. In people’s memories it cost us a World Cup. In reality, we were put on with 20 minutes to go and we needed to score two goals to get through. I’d been injured with my back and hadn’t trained. It shows that even if you’re a great header of a football, which I think I was, if your preparation is not 100 percent, you can catch yourself out. Trevor Brooking and I weren’t fit, and we would have needed another goal anyway. I don’t think we’d have won the World Cup if we’d gone through, because we weren’t the strongest side there, but obviously there would have been a chance.

 

When you signed for Newcastle, was the helicopter out of St James' Park your idea?

Mike, Manchester

It was the club’s idea – not really my style. I think the police were annoyed about it. Words were said afterwards, I’m not sure it was quite legit. It was ruled out happening again so Shearer and Beardsley missed out on the chopper. But it was fantastic symbolically, that great stadium getting smaller and smaller, then gone. It was also the only time I left that ground without signing any autographs.

 

How much did you dislike Alex Ferguson when you did that ‘I'd love it’ outburst?

Richard Birch, Birmingham

For a day or two I really disliked him. I wouldn’t say we’re close now, but we have talked a lot. I’ve sold players to him, he’s sold players to me, I’ve done charity things for him, he’s done them for me. But if you’re asking me do I love him [laughs]... I totally respect him. He’s managed a huge club for 20 years.

I’ve got a terrific record against Alex Ferguson compared with most people, too. It probably isn’t level, but I’ve managed teams that have beaten his teams 5-0, 4-1, 3-1. Two Manchester derbies. So I would say I’ve come out relatively well against him.

 

What’s your greatest memory as Newcastle manager? Lots of people still want to see a Keegan statue up here…

Kelly Munro, South Shields

Phillippe Albert beating Peter Schmeichel to seal that 5-0 win over Manchester United. If you beat Man United that’s great, if you beat them 5-0 it’s fantastic, and if you’ve just lost a league to them the season before, it’s even better. I shook Alex Ferguson’s hand, but Cantona was the only one that spoke to me. He shook my hand and said: “Fucking great team”. The crowd were really proud of those players because they were cobbled together, really. We didn’t sign top, top players until later on. We were signing players who still had something to prove, the Beresfords and Lees, and fortunately for me, and for Newcastle, they still wanted to achieve things.

 

There are loads of kids in Newcastle with the first name Keegan. Do you feel guilty about that?

Keegan Davenport, North Shields

Ha ha! There are lots of kids called Keegan, I’ve met many of them. Lots of dogs too. There’s not much you can do about it, although I suppose you don’t have to keep your name if you don’t want to. My first name’s Joseph, but I used my middle name, Kevin.

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Happy Face

Happy Face 29

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Cantona was the only one that spoke to me. He shook my hand and said: “Fucking great team”. The crowd were really proud of those players because they were cobbled together, really. We didn’t sign top, top players until later on. We were signing players who still had something to prove, the Beresfords and Lees, and fortunately for me, and for Newcastle, they still wanted to achieve things.

 

Something the "we must spend £300M" brigade should remember.

 

Look at Moyes, he's spent thruppence ha'penny and they're neck and neck for a champions league place with big money Liverpool.

Edited by Happy Face
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Hadrian

Hadrian 0

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shame keegans achivements as a footballer get brushed under the carpet cos of his spell as england manager :D

this guy is respected the world over for what he did on a football pitch .

wonder if he's still got some contacts in hamburg :D wouldnt mind a few of their squad !

 

We were signing players who still had something to prove, the Beresfords and Lees, and fortunately for me, and for Newcastle, they still wanted to achieve things.

 

that was the key last time , i can see kev doing the same this time round aswell . lets hope messi is boo'd off at the next world cup or summit then :puke:

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Kid Dynamite

Kid Dynamite 7167

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You know when you go into a public toilet and push down the taps, and a bit of water comes out, and just as you put your hands underneath, the water stops? We made those taps

 

I never realised until now just how shit a design those taps are!

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