Kevin Keegan reveals stage four cancer diagnosis in first public appearances since January

Kevin Keegan has revealed he is living with stage four cancer, making the disclosure during his first public appearances since his family announced his diagnosis in January. The 75-year-old former England and Newcastle United manager told supporters at two separate events over the weekend that the disease has spread to other parts of his body, but added that he is responding well to treatment.

Keegan’s family had confirmed the diagnosis in a statement earlier this year, saying he had been admitted to hospital for “further evaluation of ongoing abdominal symptoms” and that “these investigations have revealed a diagnosis of cancer, for which Kevin will undergo treatment.” The family requested privacy at the time and said they would make no further comment.

Newcastle United were swift to show solidarity with their former player and manager. “King Kev. We’re with you every step of the way. Hoping for a full and speedy recovery,” the club said in a statement. Liverpool, where Keegan spent six years and scored 100 goals in 323 appearances, also expressed their support, describing him as “a legendary former Reds player.”

Keegan had largely stayed out of the public eye in the months between January’s announcement and this weekend’s appearances, a period that also included a malicious hoax circulating on social media making false claims about his condition.

One of English football’s most decorated figures, Keegan began his career at Scunthorpe before Bill Shankly signed him for Liverpool in 1971. He went on to win the First Division three times, two UEFA Cups, the FA Cup, and the 1977 European Cup at Anfield. He then moved to Hamburg, where he won the Ballon d’Or — then known as the European Footballer of the Year — on two consecutive occasions, before later playing for Southampton and Newcastle and retiring in 1984.

As a manager, Keegan took charge of Newcastle, Fulham, the England national team, and Manchester City. His tenure at Newcastle in the 1990s, during which he built a side that came agonisingly close to the Premier League title, remains one of the most fondly remembered chapters in the club’s history.

The outpouring of support from fans and former clubs since January has underlined the affection in which Keegan — long nicknamed “King Kev” on Tyneside — is held across the sport.