Kevin Keegan

By: Ian Ridley

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Synopsis: On 16 January 2008, just three months after declaring that he was unlikely to ever manage again, Kevin Keegan ended weeks of feverish speculation from press and football fans alike by announcing his decision to once more become the manager of Newcastle United F. C. -- it was, without doubt, the news story of the season. There can be few managers who have divided public opinion throughout their career as Keegan has. A legendary player, Keegan never intended to make the transition from pitch to dugout and defied his own and others expectations when he first took the managerial reins at St James' Park, in 1992. Keegan quickly became a hero in the North East -- first taking the club to the Premiership, and then narrowly missing out on winning it. It was in the heat of that now infamous duel with Alex Ferguson and his Manchester United side, though, that the cracks first began to show. For all his optimism and energy as a leader there were signs of tactical and psychological weakness in Keegan; frailties that would come to haunt him later in his career -- most evidently during his disastrous spell in charge of England. A revered sports journalist with unparalleled access to insider exclusives, Ian Ridley is the perfect man for the task of understanding what it is that makes Keegan tick. Training his brilliantly incisive and penetrating gaze on Keegan, Ridley offers an unprecedented insight into the mind of this most enigmatic of men.