Football icon Kevin Keegan, who was a Saints idol during his glittering career, will be the main fixture at Eastleigh’s Concorde Club on Wednesday October 21.
They will be the hottest tickets in town for an evening in the heated garden and marquee, billed as “a unique up close and personal with one of football’s greatest names.” Tickets are on sale now from theconcordeclub.com
Kevin Keegan leads out the England team (Image: Newsquest)
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Former Saints boss Lawrie McMenemy pulled off the signing of the century when he tempted King Kev to the Dell in the 80s and took the world’s press by surprise when he unveiled his mega signing at a press conference at the Potters Heron Hotel at Ampfield.
The midfield and attacking forward playing genius was recognised for his dribbling ability, as well as his finishing and presence in the air, and is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
Keegan began his playing career at Scunthorpe United in 1968, before Bill Shankly signed him for Liverpool. There, he won three First Division titles, the UEFA Cup twice, the FA Cup and, in his final season, the European Cup.
The press conference to tell the world Keegan has signed for Saints (Image: Newsquest)
During this period, he was a regular member of the England national team, and captained the team on 31 occasions, including at UEFA Euro 1980.
He moved to Hamburger SV in the summer of 1977 and was named European Footballer of the Year in both 1978 and 1979. Hamburg won the Bundesliga title in the 1978–79 season and reached the 1980 European Cup final.
Keegan left Hamburg and played at Southampton for two seasons, before transferring to Newcastle United in the Second Division in 1982, helping them clinch promotion before retiring in 1984.
Kevin Keegan has an evening with coming up at The Concorde Club (Image: Newsquest)
He scored 204 goals in 592 appearances in his club career, adding 21 goals in 63 caps for the national team.
Keegan moved into management at Newcastle in 1992, and the team won promotion to the Premier League as First Division champions in his first full season.
After managing Fulham for two seasons, he took charge of the England national team in February 1999, resigning in October 2000, following a 1–0 loss against Germany in qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
In 2001, he became manager of Manchester City for four years. Keegan had been out of football for almost three years when he returned to Newcastle for a second spell as manager in 2008.