Former England and Liverpool footballer Kevin Keegan has died aged 75, his family has confirmed.
It was announced by his family in January that Keegan had been diagnosed with cancer, with the former footballer and manager later revealing in June that the disease was at stage four.
“It is with immense sadness that we announce that Kevin Keegan has passed away at the age of 75,” a statement from Keegan’s family read.
“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 enjoyed a successful career, beginning at Scunthorpe United before being signed by Liverpool manager Bill Shankly in 1971.
He helped the club win three league titles, two UEFA Cups, the FA Cup and the 1977 European Cup.
Keegan was twice named European Football of the Year during his spell at the German club Hamburg, and also won two Ballon d’Or awards.
He then returned to England to play for Southampton and Newcastle, before retiring as a player in 1984 and moving to Spain.
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“It was the best decision I made in my life,” he told the Guardian of the decision back in 2011, adding: “I was at the highest level and the only way was down. I call it the glass mountain – you can’t climb a glass mountain.”
He won a total of 63 England caps, scoring 21 goals and captaining the side 31 times.
Following his retirement, Keegan returned to Newcastle as a manager.
In his first season as manager, he led the club to promotion to the Premier League as First Division champions.
Keegan later managed the English national team and Manchester City before making an unexpected return to Newcastle United in 2008.
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
