Kevin Keegan, who died this week at the age of 75, will be honoured before Newcastle United’s Premier League opener against Liverpool on 23 August, the club has confirmed.
Newcastle said in a statement they are in discussions with Liverpool “to ensure his memory is marked fittingly before the game” and will work with supporter groups and the Premier League to shape tributes. Keegan is revered at both clubs — he won three league titles, the European Cup and two Uefa Cups during six trophy-laden years at Liverpool, and later became a legendary player and manager at Newcastle, guiding them to Premier League promotion in 1992-93 and second place in 1995-96.
“Newcastle and Liverpool plan Keegan tribute; Leeds in talks to sign Man City keeper Trafford.”
Before that fixture, Newcastle’s men’s, women’s and under-21 sides will wear black armbands in pre-season matches. A minute’s silence will be observed before Eddie Howe’s side face Gateshead in a friendly this Saturday. When the men’s team meet Bayer Leverkusen and Strasbourg on 15 and 16 August, Keegan’s photo will appear on screens in the seventh minute — a reference to the number seven shirt he wore — giving fans a chance to applaud. The same tribute will happen when the women’s team face Inter Milan on 16 August. Newcastle said they will consult Keegan’s family on plans for a permanent tribute.
In June, Keegan revealed he had stage four cancer. His family initially disclosed the disease in January. A statement on behalf of his family said he was “surrounded by his wife and daughters in his final moments.”
Elsewhere in the transfer market, Leeds United are in discussions with Manchester City to sign goalkeeper James Trafford. The England international could leave the Etihad this summer just a year after returning from Burnley. Newcastle and Aston Villa both held an interest, though Villa now expect Emi Martinez to stay.
Leeds need a new goalkeeper after Karl Darlow and Illan Meslier left Elland Road this summer. Lucas Perri and Alex Cairns remain on the books but Perri lost his place to Darlow in the second half of last season and did not play in the Premier League after a 4-3 defeat to Newcastle on 7 January.
Trafford, part of England’s World Cup squad this summer but unused, played 17 times for City last season — four times in the Premier League — and won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. He started his career at City, had loan spells at Accrington and Bolton, and left for Burnley in 2023, making 73 appearances before City activated a £27m buy-back clause last summer plus add-ons. The subsequent arrival of Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris St-Germain in September restricted Trafford’s playing time.