Iron tribute to King Kev

By John Lyons

SPIRITUAL HOME: Former England captain Kevin Keegan visited old club Scunthorpe back in December, inset top. Below: Lining up for Scunthorpe in the 70s

PICTURE: Alamy/Rob Jones

Scunthorpe United have led the tributes to their ‘iconic’ and ‘inspirational’ former player Kevin Keegan.

The former England captain and manager died on Monday at the age of 75, seven weeks after he revealed he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.

In a glittering career, Keegan won the European Cup and three First Division titles as a player with Liverpool, while also picking up the Balon d’Or on two occasions (1978 and 79).

He played 63 times for England, scoring 21 goals, and also served Hamburg, Southampton and Newcastle.

However, it was at Scunthorpe where Keegan started out. Born in Armthorpe near Doncaster, he played 124 Fourth Division games, scoring 18 goals, for the Iron between 1968 and 1971 before he was snapped up by Bill Shankly’s Liverpool in a £35,000 deal.

Inspirational

Despite the fame and fortune that followed, Keegan never forgot his roots and always had a special place in his heart for Scunthorpe.

He last visited the Iron in Decem- ber when Scunthorpe played Tamworth in the National League. Fittingly, the hosts came from behind to win 3-1 in the National League fixture.

Scunthorpe co-owner Michelle Harness said: “As a special thing, he came with me to the players’ dressing room and Kevin did the pre-match talk.

“That was inspiring for them. A lot of the players know everything he has done in football. He was the iconic player of the club and he told me he always watched the results or looked for our results on a Sunday.”

In the club’s tribute to their legendary former player, the Iron said: “With a constant smile on his face, Keegan returned to the Attis Arena in late 2025 to witness the matchday atmosphere once again, giving the Scunthorpe players a pre-match team talk using his inspirational demeanour, before taking time to speak to each and every person he encountered, highlighting his brilliant personality.

“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to all of ‘King Kev’s’ family, friends and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.”

Following his playing career, Keegan went on to manage Newcastle (twice), Fulham, Manchester City and the national team.

England will celebrate Keegan’s life when they host World Cup winners Spain in a Nations League match at Wembley on September 26.

● Gateshead and Newcastle pay tribute – pages 16-17