Newcastle legend Kevin Keegan dies at 75: Ranking his top five goals for the Magpies

Following the deeply saddening news that English football icon Kevin Keegan has passed away at the age of 75 after a courageous battle with stage four cancer, the global sporting community has united to celebrate a true football pioneer.

While Keegan reached the pinnacle of the game with Liverpool and Hamburg, his legendary two-year spell as a player at Newcastle United between 1982 and 1984 truly captured the soul of Tyneside.

Keegan’s impact extended far beyond the pitch, galvanising his teammates and reigniting belief in a club that had drifted from the top of English football for too long.

Arriving as a two-time Ballon d'Or winner and willing to drop down to the Second Division, Keegan immediately sparked a footballing renaissance. He scored a remarkable 48 goals in 78 league appearances, dragging Newcastle back to the First Division.

Grounded in his playing years on Tyneside, Sports Mole looks back at the five most definitive goals of "King Kev's" reign at St James' Park:

1. Kevin Keegan's dream debut vs. Queens Park Rangers (August 1982)

There was only ever going to be one starting point for Newcastle fans. When Keegan agreed to join the Magpies in the summer of 1982, it felt like a miracle for a city starved of hope. Facing a strong Queens Park Rangers side at a packed St James' Park, the script was perfect.

In the 72nd minute, Keegan chased down a looping ball over the top, outmuscled his marker, and calmly side-footed the ball across the goalkeeper into the bottom corner. The goal sparked a joyous pitch invasion and cemented his immediate bond with the Geordie faithful.

2. Kevin Keegan's technical masterpiece vs. Rotherham United (November 1982)

While Keegan was rightly celebrated for his tireless work rate and footballing intelligence, he also possessed exceptional technical skill. In a tightly contested home match against Rotherham, a looping cross was deflected awkwardly into the box.

Reacting instinctively, Keegan adjusted his body and launched a flawless bicycle kick past the stranded goalkeeper - pure Ballon d'Or quality, executed in the tough surroundings of the Second Division.

3. Kevin Keegan's solo counter-attack vs. Manchester City (October 1983)

In a high-stakes, promotion-defining clash with Manchester City, Keegan showcased the driving power that had troubled defenders across Europe for a decade.

Picking up the ball deep inside his own half on the counter, he surged forward, shrugged off two challenges, cut inside onto his right foot and rifled a rising shot into the top corner to seal a crucial victory.

4. The fluid team sequence vs. Derby County (January 1984)

By his second season on Tyneside, Keegan was joined by two rising academy stars: Peter Beardsley and Chris Waddle.

This goal captured their partnership at its best. Waddle played a quick one-two with Beardsley before slipping a perfectly weighted pass into the box.

Keegan arrived with a late run and finished into the top corner without breaking stride, setting the template for the "Entertainers" style of football he would later bring to Newcastle as manager in the 1990s.

5. Kevin Keegan's perfect farewell vs Brighton (May 1984)

Keegan's final competitive goal was steeped in emotion. With Newcastle already promoted, he signed off in style against Brighton.

Latching onto a clever pass from Beardsley, Keegan calmly chipped the advancing keeper, sending St James' Park into raptures.

Substituted shortly after, he famously left the pitch by helicopter, leaving Tyneside forever changed. Keegan’s legacy at Newcastle endures not just in the goals he scored, but in the spirit he helped restore.

His two-year spell is widely regarded as one of the most important turning points in the club’s modern history, laying the psychological and cultural foundations for the successes and excitement that would follow under his management in the 1990s.

The image of Keegan waving farewell from a helicopter remains one of the most iconic moments in English football, symbolising the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter for both player and club.