Top 15 greatest Kevin Keegan quotes

Former England captain and manager Kevin Keegan has died at the age of 75 following a battle with stage four cancer.

One of the finest forwards of his generation, Keegan enjoyed a glittering playing career with Scunthorpe United, Liverpool, Hamburg, Southampton and Newcastle United, winning the Ballon d'Or in consecutive years and establishing himself as one of football's most charismatic figures.

After hanging up his boots, Keegan moved into management, taking charge of Newcastle United, Fulham, England and Manchester City during a colourful career in the dugout.

His six-year spell at Liverpool remains the defining chapter of his playing days, yielding 100 goals and a glittering collection of silverware, including three league titles, the European Cup, two UEFA Cups and the FA Cup.

Keegan's move to Hamburg elevated him to even greater heights, as he lifted the Bundesliga title and became one of only a handful of Englishmen to win the Ballon d'Or twice.

Across an outstanding club career, Keegan scored 204 goals in 592 appearances, while he also netted 21 times in 63 England caps and captained the Three Lions on 31 occasions.

The former Newcastle boss also became a familiar face in the television studio, where his colourful personality and memorable one-liners often stole the show.

Here, Sports Mole looks back at 15 of Kevin Keegan's most unforgettable quotes over the years.

Kevin Keegan's geography

15) "Hungary is very similar to Bulgaria. I know they’re different countries."

14) "I came to Nantes two years ago and it’s much the same today, except that it’s completely different."

13) “Argentina won’t be at Euro 2000 because they’re from South America.”

Kevin Keegan: Stating the obvious

12) "The 33 or 34-year-olds will be 36 or 37 by the time the next World Cup comes around, if they're not careful."

11) “The substitute is about to come on – he’s a player who was left out of the starting line-up today.”

Keegan on players

10) “I don’t think there’s anyone bigger or smaller than Maradona.”

9) “Richard Dunne has always been in the frame for me. When he has been out of the frame it was because he took himself out of it for one reason or another.”

8) “Gary always weighed up his options, especially when he had no choice.”

7) "I had Micah Richards as a player at 16 and he was a man then. What is he now? A bigger man, probably."

Kevin Keegan said about transfer window

6) “Well, that’s like asking me who is on my Christmas card list. I sit down with the wife and I say ‘Did they send us one last year or this year’, and if they haven’t we rip the name up and throw it in the bin. But then, a couple of days after Christmas the card might arrive late so we do a card for them on the 28th and date it the 22nd and send it off and hope they don’t notice…I haven’t a clue what I’m talking about.”

Keegan on international fans

5) "England have the best fans in the world, and Scotland’s fans are second-to-none.”

Keegan on team talk:

4) “The last thing I wrote on the board before we came out was: ‘If you go out there and show me that determination and you show this crowd that you want it more, they’ll be that twelfth man for you. They’ll give you that extra lift.’”

Kevin Keegan on fitness

3) “In some ways, cramp is worse than having a broken leg.”

Keegan on goalkeeper

2) “Goalkeepers aren’t born today until they’re in their late twenties or thirties.”

Keegan on rant against Man Utd

1) "When you do that with footballers like he said about Leeds, and when you do things like that about a man like Stuart Pearce – I’ve kept really quiet, but I’ll tell you something, he went down in my estimation when he said that – we have not resorted to that. But I’ll tell ya – you can tell him now if you’re watching it – we’re still fighting for this title, and he’s got to go to Middlesbrough and get something, and… and I tell you honestly, I will love it if we beat them, love it!”