Kevin Keegan, the former Newcastle United and Liverpool star, has died at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer. The English football legend had previously shared that people mainly remember him for three things: his hair, an appearance on TV show Superstars, and his famous 'love it if we beat them' line.
Family statement
In a statement released on Monday, his family said: 'It is with immense sadness that we announce that Kevin Keegan has passed away at the age of 75. The former England player and manager had been battling cancer and was surrounded by his wife and daughters in his final moments.'
'Kevin, a double Ballon D’or winner, was a much loved husband, father and grandfather. The family would like to thank Kevin’s incredible medical team for all their support. This is a hugely difficult time and they are requesting space and privacy.'
Keegan leaves his wife of 51 years, Jean, and their children Laura Jane, 47, and Sarah Marie, 43.
Career and memories
As a player, Keegan was fearless, famous for his Brut adverts with Henry Cooper, pop singles, curly perm, and an episode of Superstars in 1976 where he fell off a bike but got back on despite being injured. In the late 1990s, he managed a Newcastle side nicknamed 'The Entertainers' for their attacking football. He famously said 'I will love it if we beat them' in a TV outburst aimed at then Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson after Newcastle gave up a 12-point lead and lost the 1996 title to United.
In a BBC interview before his death, Keegan said: 'It's a lesson in life. You can win the Ballon d'Or, you can win the European Cup, you can win all the league titles you want, but people remember me from my hair, the perm, they remember me falling off a bike in Superstars, a lot of people, and they remember the 'I'd love it if we beat them'.'
He added: 'So it's life. You have to accept it. It doesn't matter what you think; it's what other people think. It was, [the love it if we beat them line], probably at that time a realisation that we weren't going to win the league.'
Ferguson's tribute
Sir Alex Ferguson recalled a heartwarming encounter with Keegan days after the outburst. In an interview with Track Radio, Ferguson said: 'That was Kevin, he was all emotion and he brought that to the team as well. They played for Kevin Keegan, there's no question about that.'
'The interesting thing about the outburst from Kevin, two weeks after the season had finished, I was playing golf with some friends and went to a great bar up the road, nice food. We went up there, and who walks in? Kevin Keegan and he spent the rest of the night on the piano.'
'The best thing about him is he held no grudges, that was a fantastic quality he had. We had a great night, he would always say - whatever happened in previous weeks, that was soon forgotten. I really respected him for that.'
