Kevin Keegan, the former Newcastle United manager who died on Monday at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer, has been hailed by Sir Alex Ferguson as the man who built the club's 'greatest ever team'.
Ferguson, whose Manchester United side famously pipped Keegan's Newcastle to the Premier League title in 1996, paid a deeply personal tribute to his old adversary on Track Radio. 'I had the utmost respect for him,' Ferguson said. 'We had many duels when he was manager of Newcastle, but the job he did at Newcastle was fantastic. He re-energised that club and he brought that enthusiasm and fanaticism that great supporters can give.'
“Sir Alex Ferguson says Kevin Keegan built Newcastle's 'greatest team' after his death at 75.”
Keegan's first stint as Magpies boss ran from 1992 to 1997. He lifted the club from the brink of relegation to the third tier, guided them to promotion to the Premier League in 1993, and then built a side that finished runners-up to United three years later – a title race that remains one of the most dramatic in English football history. That season, Keegan's frustration with Ferguson's mind games boiled over in a famous television outburst: 'I will love it if we beat them.'
Ferguson lavished praise on the three players Keegan brought to St James' Park – David Ginola, Faustino Asprilla and Philippe Albert – saying they added 'a bit of class to the team'. He added: 'The challenges we had with Newcastle at that time at United were huge. Kevin carried the love of the game on his sleeve, there's no question about that, and that carried right on to the fans, to the players. That period at Newcastle was of emotion, it was excitement. It gave Newcastle – I think – their best ever team.'
Despite their fierce rivalry, Ferguson recalled a warm encounter with Keegan a few weeks after the 1995-96 season ended. They met at a pub near Wentworth Golf Club and spent the night around a piano, with all thoughts of the title battle forgotten. 'The great thing about him, he held no grudges,' Ferguson said. 'That was a fantastic quality he had and we had a great night.'
Tributes have been left at St James' Park as football mourns the loss of one of its most endearing characters. 'Football has lost one of its true greats,' Ferguson said.