English Legend & Former Harimau Malaya Guest Player ‘King Kev’ Dies At 75

By Lara Kramer  •  21 Jul 2026 in News

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Former England captain and manager Kevin Keegan, who once played for Malaysia during the 1984 Merdeka Tournament, has died aged 75.

Keegan’s former club Newcastle United confirmed his death on Monday, following his battle with stage four cancer.

Before becoming one of the biggest names in English football, Keegan made a memorable appearance in Malaysian football history. In 1984, the Football Association of Malaysia invited the then-retired England captain to play for the national team during the Merdeka Tournament.

Keegan featured for Malaysia in their opening match against Pakistan at the Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, scoring twice in a 2-0 victory.

The appearance came during the final year of Keegan’s playing career, with the forward having already established himself as one of Europe’s biggest football stars.

Nicknamed “King Kev” and “Mighty Mouse”, Keegan began his professional career with Scunthorpe United before joining Liverpool in 1971.

He went on to make 323 appearances for the club, scoring 100 goals and winning three First Division titles, the FA Cup, two UEFA Cups, and the European Cup.

After moving to Hamburg, Keegan won the European Footballer of the Year award in 1978 and 1979, becoming the only British player to win the Ballon d’Or twice.

He later returned to England to play for Southampton and Newcastle before retiring from professional football in 1984, the same year he represented Malaysia at the Merdeka Tournament.

Keegan also scored 21 goals in 63 appearances for England and captained the national team 31 times between 1972 and 1982.

He later moved into management, taking charge of Newcastle in 1992 and leading the club into the Premier League. His side came agonisingly close to winning the 1995-96 Premier League title before being overtaken by Manchester United.

Keegan later managed England and Manchester City, as well as returning for a second spell at Newcastle.

Newcastle described Keegan as one of the most iconic and beloved figures in the club’s history, praising the impact he had both as a player and manager.

Tributes poured in from across the world, with Liverpool describing him as their “Mighty Mouse” and others simply sharing heartfelt memories, including this writer’s father, who was fortunate enough to have met (and housed!) Keegan all those years ago:

Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer also paid tribute to his former manager and friend, writing: “My Hero. My manager. My friend. Sleep easy Boss.”

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