My Life in Football
The extraordinary journey of football legend, Kevin Keegan – the phenomenal Sunday Times bestseller
My Life in Football is the unforgettable autobiography of football legend, Kevin Keegan. From his humble beginnings at the Peglers Brass Works reserve team in Doncaster to helping Liverpool become the kings of Europe, captaining English and becoming the only Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or twice.
As a manager, Keegan's five-year spell in charge at Newcastle is now legendary; he led the club from the depths of the old Second Division to the brink of the Premier League title with a breathtaking vision and flamboyant style that saw his team dubbed 'The Entertainers'.
Fifty years since making his professional debut, Keegan tells the full story of the exhilarating highs and excruciating lows, from that epic battle with Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United in the 1995-6 season, as well as the pain of managing England and, finally, the shattering truth about his unhappy return to Newcastle in the controversial Mike Ashley era.
Written with passion, humour and brutal honesty, My Life in Football offers a rare insight into the trails, tribulatons and triumps that defined a life and legacy in football. A must-read for football enthusiasts, this is the story of the miner's son from Doncaster who became a superstar. This is the story of 'King Kev'.
Kevin Keegan’s glittering career includes domestic and European glory with Liverpool and Hamburg and leaves him as the only English footballer in history to win the Ballon d’Or twice.
As a player, Keegan’s six years at Liverpool included three league championships, the European Cup, two UEFA Cups and the FA Cup before leaving Anfield in 1977 to cement his superstar status with Hamburg, leading them to a Bundesliga title and a European Cup final.
Keegan captained the England national team and won the Golden Boot at Southampton before finishing his playing career in dramatic style at Newcastle United, the club he later transformed in his now-legendary spell as manager.
Famously, Keegan guided Newcastle from near-extinction to the brink of a Premier League title, playing a style of football that earned them the nickname of The Entertainers and featuring the never-forgotten 1995–6 championship chase with Manchester United. He went on to manage England, in between spells at Fulham and Manchester City, and later returned to Newcastle, desperately hoping he could bring success to the city that knew him as the Messiah.
Daniel Taylor is the chief football writer for the Guardian and the Observer. He has been named Football Journalist of the Year three times by the Sports Journalists’ Association, as well as winning numerous other awards. He started working at the Guardian in 2000 and has covered five World Cups for the newspaper. My Life in Football is his fifth book.