Bill Shankly's £35,000 swoop for Keegan from Scunthorpe in May 1971 proved one of the shrewdest transfer moves ever. He was signed as a midfielder and potential replacement for long-serving Ian Callaghan.
But Keegan's sparkling display up front in a pre-season practice match persuaded Shankly to plunge him into his debut alongside John Toshack in attack at the start of the 1971-72 season.
Keegan scored after just 12 minutes, Liverpool beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 and another epoch in Anfield history had begun.
The confident recruit, born in Armthorpe near Doncaster, hit big-time football like a whirlwind. He won the first of 63 full caps.
His potent, trophy-capturing alliance with Toshack became feared throughout England and Europe before Keegan joined Hamburg for £500,000 in 1977, going on to become European Player of the Year twice. He scored 100 Liverpool goals and said farewell by helping to win their first European Cup with a 3-1 conquest of Borussia Moenchengladbach in Rome.
Later he played for Southampton and Newcastle - whom he also managed - received an OBE and in 1999 became England manager.
Kevin won many honours in his career, most success came with Liverpool winning First Division Championship 1972/73, 1975/76 & 1976/77, FA Cup 1974, European Cup 1977, UEFA Cup 1973 & 1976, Charity Shield 1974 & 1976 and Footballer of the Year 1976. He helped Hamburg win the German Bundesliga 1978/79.
He won Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in 1976 and PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 1982.
