My Life in Football - The Autobiography

by Kevin Keegan

Kevin Keegan’s illustrious career in professional football has marked him out as one of the most charismatic, talented and decorated men in the history of the sport. As a player, he is best known for a legendary 1970s spell at Liverpool under Bill Shankly then Bob Paisley. In six seasons Keegan played a pivotal role in Liverpool winning three First Division titles, two Uefa Cups, a European Cup and an FA Cup. He was a vibrant and potent cutting edge in one of the most iconic teams in English football. At the very top of his game, Keegan left Merseyside to challenge himself on the Continent in Hamburg. He left an indelible mark on the club and their fans by winning the Bundesliga and European Cup in his three years there. He also won the highly coveted Ballon D’Or, twice, while in Germany.Keegan finished his playing career with spells at Southampton then Newcastle, immediately establishing himself on Tyneside as a club icon. His ten-year England career, in which he captained his country 31 times, brought 63 caps and 21 goals, but only one, brief World Cup finals appearance. Keegan returned to Newcastle, and further bolstered his legendary status in the north-east, in a five-year spell as manager at St James’ Park during which the club were promoted to the Premier League then finished runners-up in the top flight not once but twice. Spells as manager at Fulham, England and Manchester City followed, and Keegan called time on his managerial career after a short-lived second tenure at Newcastle.Written with the Guardian and Observer’s chief football writer Daniel Taylor, twice named Football Journalist of the Year, My Life in Football will embrace the great clubs he has been part of, the triumphs and despairs he has experienced, plus the team-mates and rivals he has encountered, the managers he has played under and the players he has managed, producing a deeply-absorbing and multi-layered memoir from a genuinely cross-generational legend of the sport.

Genres: Football, Biography, Autobiography, Soccer

320 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Nick Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dislike football autobiographies that are “and then we went to Arsenal and won 2-1 with me scoring…” and enjoy the ones that are about the times, the characters and the politics of the game. Mr Keegan gets the balance just right, we learn about his upbringing and then his playing days including Liverpool, Hamburg and of course, Newcastle.
He is a guy who is all passion and wears his heart well on his sleeve. His playing career was less about technical skill but about always giving 110% and always being willing to learn. His managerial career (and it’s easy to forget just how many teams he managed) was the same, passion and coaching based on having learned from the best. He’s honest and sadly, as a manager, that possibly held him back. Always seeking to improve and push forward, he was not always helped by those in charge. I was surprised to be reminded just how well he did as a manager, with the notable exception of England where he admits he was out of his depth and comfort zone. Not surprising to hear how useless the FA were but astonishing to hear about how badly run Newcastle were under Mike Ashley and you can understand why the fans there still loathe him and the likes of Denis Wise.
An interesting biography, enjoyed it.

[Mark Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kevin Keegan was one of my heroes growing up and this book did not disappoint. He has had a fantastic career and what a lot of younger football fans probably don't realise is KK was the Ronaldo/Messi of his era. He was that good, he not only won the Ballon d'Or award for the world's best footballer once but twice. The only British footballer to achieve this. The book portrays someone who is a genuine football fan and clearly loved at ever club he has gone to. Which make it more disgusting the way he was treated at his last spell at Newcastle United. If i was a Newcastle fan i'd be trying to get rid of Mike Ashley asap, as KK says in the book the club belongs to you. Unfortunately i'm a Coventry City supporter and we let KK go when he was 16.

[Simon Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this autobiography; I liked it quite a lot. Keegan is a really likeable chap, a little eccentric maybe, but that’s all part of the charm isn’t it?

The book is a very easy, flowing read. The only problem is that other than the issue of signing random South American players by the Newcastle hierarchy behind his back, (an issue that literally bookends this book), very few anecdotes have any depth.

The early chapters of his playing career are really quite bland - almost like “I moved to Hamburg. My team mates resented me but I won the title and European Footballer of the year. Twice. Then I moved to Southampton.”
Once he starts talking about his managerial career, it gets a lot more enjoyable and moves at some pace which I enjoyed. The main drawback from here on in is the lack of depth despite Keegan’s infamy for managerial chaos or incident. It’s fun, but could say so much more or ‘lift the lid’ a little to provide some previously unheard insight.

[Chris Dutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keegan is a Legend!!

Fantastic book. Keegan is nothing short of the Messiah. A very honest man and as a lifelong Newcastle fan I found part of the book hard to read of badly this legend was treated by the current regime. One of the reasons Keegan is loved by us is because he is one of us and wants the same as us and that is a team that tries and plays entertaining football. I would give anything to go back to the days under Keegan. Forget the trophies I would settle to watch the football. We were amazing under Keegan.

[Cathal Kenneally · Rating 4 out of 5]

A BOOK WITH PHOTOS INSIDE
Everyone remembers the famous rant about Alex Ferguson that cost Newcastle the title and yes, it’s mentioned here. Keegan wasn’t the only manager to lose mind games battles with Ferguson. Rafael Benitez did the same thing. Unfortunately Liverpool went on to finish second from a favourable position that season. United were serial winners who never panicked whereas Newcastle threw away a 12 point lead to finish second as well.
Kevin Keegan has won major trophies and honours as a player and manager. Despite animosity from his teammates at Hamburg he eventually won them round and won trophies there as well.
As a manager he has been promoted with Newcastle, Fulham and Manchester City. He’s a proven winner wherever he went apart from his second spell at Newcastle and England where the old fuddy duddies tried to tell him what to do. That never works. As for the rant at Alex Ferguson? Well, he wore his heart on his sleeve.

[Paul Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really honest autobiography from a true character of the game!!
I love it when people tell actual, no-holds-barred accounts of what’s happened and it’s a great insight into a football career through the ages.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another thoroughly enjoyable football autobiography, very entertaining and readable. Some anecdotes had me chuckling and smiling throughout.

Sadly I am too young to have enjoyed King Kev at Liverpool, and memories of him I think are diminished to the success of his direct replacement, King Kenny.

I really enjoyed the book and it was interesting to see how his career developed and his second caree as a manager. There is certainly more to it than the famous "love it" interview.

Shame that it ended on a low note at Newcastle but one of the best English footballers ever had one hell of a career.

[Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable read of the life and career of one of England's most carasmatic footballing caractors. I have given this a five star rating probably being a little bias as he was a childhood hero of mine during his days at Liverpool.

[Jackson Stubbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being a Sunderland fan I’ve always liked Kevin Keegan. He’s brand of football was attractive to watch and he always seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve.

The book is a decent read and reinforces my preconception that ultimately he’s a decent bloke. One criticism about him is he perhaps lacks the ability to stick around when the going gets tough but his record speaks for itself.

I’d recommend this to any football fan...even if you fundamentally opposed to the team in black and white!

[Martin Jewitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this as an attempt to reconnect with the club that I love. I started reading on the day Rafa. keegan is a true idol and I enjoyed reliving so many great memories. The end of the book when he was shafted by Ashley and co was harrowing. Our club is broken. keegan remains a legend.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw KK as a speaker at a fundraiser back in September where this book was announced and so I was definitely intrigued and delighted to get this in my Christmas stocking this year. Although Keegan had an extremely successful playing career and regarded as one of the best players of his time, in all honesty I wasn't that familiar with his playing career. Of course, I had known about his spells at Liverpool and Hamburg, but it was a bot before my time. Remember him being at Newcastle as a player from match reports and occasional televised games, but that was well before I started going to games. The only time that I saw him play live at SJP was at Kenny Wharton’s testimonial long after he had retired. Much more familiar to my generation is his first spell as manager at SJP, and to be honest I was a bit impatient in the early chapters, thinking “yeah, yeah, get to the parts about Newcastle…”. It goes through his early life and playing career at a pretty brisk pace, in contrast to the usual turgid ramblings that can be found in many a football player autobiography. The opening paragraph has a line that we should all be dreamers at heart, and I fully agree - there’s definitely a lot of that in the nostalgia for that mid 90s Newcastle team that came pretty close and was beautiful to watch. More unpleasant is some of the stories about the second spell at Newcastle under the Ashley regime – the clumsy, inept and sometimes willful neglect by the likes of Llambias, Wise and especially Jimenez; as well as his trials dealing with the FA on the England job and managing an egotistic dressing room at Man City. Throughout a lot of the book, KK comes across as a bit of a moaner. He clearly has some sour grapes. However, he’s also pretty honest about his own limitations and accepting responsibility for failures, such as when managing the England national team. Like with all accounts about his time at Newcastle, there’s always a feeling of what might have been.

[Peter P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autobographies are oftentimes a little suspect; given the motivation of the teller of the tale to position themselevs in the best possible light. My Life in Football, does plenty of that, as Kevin Keegan - especially so as a manager - paints himself as a victim of circumstances and, more often than I could recall, ends up walking away from various roles. If there is truth in the view that Keegan was never really cut out for top-level management (his best success coming in the second and third tier), there can surely be no doubt that his playing career was a testament to his immense drive and will to succeed without, as he conceeds himself, having all of the bells and whistles of other superstars. The book is ultimately an enjoyable trip down memory lane for fans of football - especially in the 70's and '80's. Keegan won league titles, the FA Cup, the UEFA Cups, and the European Cup (oh what a night that was!) for Liverpool before making his way to Germany, where he won what is now known as the Ballon d'Or twice while playing for Hamburg, as he helped lead them to their first German title in 20 years. I enjoyed the book and came away with a great sense of having gotten to know someone who got more from his talent than anyone had any right to have expected when he signed his first professional contract with Scunthorpe United.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Keegan's first autobiography written oh so many years ago while still at Liverpool (I think) it was a treat to read the overview of this wonderful footballer's life. I had a good understanding of his early years and so the highlights for me were especially the last three chapters, two of which were about his time as manager for the second time of Newcastle United. Oh gosh, now I understand all the negativity towards Mike Ashley's reign. Incredible the stories Keegan told. Like him I was saddened by how poorly he was treated considering he was such a legend at the club.

I also enjoyed the last chapter where he recounted a little about his marriage to Jean (almost 45 years strong) and the very funny story of when he was mistaken for a homeless man which closes the book. Sums up the humility of the man.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable autobiography. Keegan has unrivalled positivity and self-belief. It's no wonder he has had the success he's had.
Some nuggets in this book too. Tommy Smith and Emlyn Hughes falling out massively and never recovered.
Keegan's struggles at Hamburg before turning it all around.
The fact that once his mind is made up that's it.
The set up by Howard Wilkinson and Alex Ferguson that led to the famous 'I'd love it' speech.
The shocking goings on with Tony Jimenez, Derek Llambias and Ashley. They really do sound like utter clowns. Having a guy in charge of transfers who specialises in property beforehand and promising Keegan top youth players from South America without knowing about work permits was hilarious.
Keegan is a legend and only increased in my ahead after this honest account. Class guy
Class book.

[Nigel Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read dozens of Liverpool-related autobiographies since the mid 80’s, Kevin Keegan’s rates highly for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, Keegan was a genuine superstar & there are few British players (& to a lesser degree managers) to be in a position to offer what life was like shooting to the absolute top of the game in the 70’s.
Secondly, Keegan has had a varied career as both player & manager taking in everything from the old English 4th Division to managing England & winning two Ballon d’Ors.
Finally, Kevin Keegan remains a regular guy despite his remarkable career so his book proves to be very relatable even if parts of his life are clearly laced with bitterness for one reason or another.
Keegan’s story is very much an old-fashioned, rags to riches football autobiography which is exactly what I want when reading the story of one of the games greatest superstars

[Andy Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relating the journey from Doncaster to the England captaincy, picking up trophies and European crowns via Liverpool, Hamburg, Southampton and Newcastle, this memoir comes over as honest and intelligent. The best sections cover the stress of his managerial career with his first period by the Tyne portrayed as meteoric, Fulham more low key but enjoyable, England a bridge too far and being forced to settle for mediocrity at Manchester City.

The second period at Newcastle is plain barmy...Mike Ashley told me a decade ago how - and why - he came to buy the Club but that's a story for another day!

[Victoria Sigsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin Keegan has always been one of my sporting heroes. He's also from one of the local towns near me . This book was everything I hoped it would be; no holds barred on the various issues he had to deal with. Like with everyone,there is always someone prepared to try and bring you down and he goes into great detail about these affairs. Well done to him for having the courage to do this.
I also enjoyed reading about his life growing up in a working class area of Doncaster.
This book is never boring and is very well paced.
Recommend.

[Maxine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keving keegan a legend and one of my football heros. Yes I am biased as I'm a massvie newcastle United fan and of course he was a legend at that club but also wherever he went.
It was great to read about his life and to have an insight into the KK I didn't know that much about outside of his Newcastle days.
I felt he was very open and honest about his life, the good, the bad and sometimes the ugly reading this reminds you that he wasn't only a manager but also a player and a damn good player.
This autobiography give a clear and honest picture of who Keving Keegan the man really is,

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good well written biography from Mr Keegan. Better than average football biography. Some amazing and hilarious moments, such as the background info on the “Love it” interview, the segment where he describes Michael Jackson turning up at Craven Cottage is hilarious and memorable. My only criticism is that parts of this book are written as if you know the story already, so if you are a stranger to Keegan’s life you might have to fill in some gaps. But overall a really good read, essential for any football fan.

[Jo Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book starts off strong (lively, engaging, and full of personality) as it covers his childhood, his relationship with his wife and his multifaceted career as a footballer, musician, and TV personality. However, after the memorable “I’ll love it if we beat them” rant (something I recall vividly from my youth), the narrative becomes bogged down in football politics, losing much of its initial energy. Fortunately, it concludes on an uplifting note, with double K reflecting on his life with gratitude.

[Laura Bradburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

He’s become a bit of a figure of mockery in later years but what this book does so well is remind you just how good a player Kevin Keegan really was. It was really interesting to read about his rise to the top of European football, as well as his struggles to overcome a move to a foreign land. His opinions on those he has worked with in a career that has lasted over 50 years are honest, forthright and unapologetic. Just what you want from an autobiography.

[Mika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Something I find annoying is separate autobiographies by the same author. This I found missing in depth and falling short. Then I found one autobiography written in the late 90´, and wouldn’t know if these both must be read.

It’s pretty clear where the focus is concentrated in this book, but missing in my opinion, atmosphere and fun reading. Although written with warmness and respect for football and its surroundings.

[Matt Blum · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Newcastle fan I found this book really interesting. King Kev was one of my heroes as a lad as Newcastle manager, and hearing the behind the scenes stories about some of my idols growing up was great! I didn't realise how good a player Keegan was either, winning the ballon d'or twice in the 70s! I also found it fascinating hearing about the farce that Mike Ashley's Newcastle has become these days. A must read for any football fan, but especially if you followed Liverpool or Newcastle.

[Ray Smillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the better football autobiographies. Honest with his opinions without becoming tedious. Comes as no surprise that the journalists were ready to stab his back the minute he became England manager. His second time around at Newcastle sounds like a nightmare and Ashley is still there. As a Scotland fan, Kevin Keegan was the player we loved to hate but really wished he was Scottish. A bona fide legend not afraid to laugh at himself and what a perm that was.

[Jack Youd · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all this book was a fun read. It was great to read a book on anecdotes and the stories on politics instead of just reading about how great he thinks he is. It was very interesting reading about his second time at Newcastle under the ‘Cockney Mafia’. If that was happening so soon after their takeover, no wonder we saw what we did in the last 14 years from Ashley. Keegan Strikes me we someone who loves football and loves the career he’s had in it. Great read.

[Jason Cotton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kevin Keegan was one of the top players of his era and having a frank and often self critical biography of his life helps to explain his desire to be one of the best. He details both his playing career and his managerial career. From the highs of playing for Liverpool and Hamburg to the lows of his final managerial stint as Newcastle manager (for the second time). A good read and hard to put down. Football fans will love it :)

[J FOSTER · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read.

This may diminish the value of my review but it is only fair to mention that I was born in North Shields on the north bank of the Tyne. I have enjoyed reading Kevin's book, I don't do hero worship but if I did! Quite well written and as informative as you'd expect from KK.

[Paul Farrer · Rating 4 out of 5]

His own man

A very honest account of life in football as a player and manager, showing the good and bad sides. Maybe a good or very bad read if you are a Newcastle fan, but could give you a better insight into what goes on behind the scenes in this now multi million pound business. Also shows you need a bit of luck on the the way to make it to the highest level.Very

[Sandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the read. Keegan was one of my child hood hero’s and so the tales brought back many memories of games and players stories of some I knew and others with his management I had no idea about. Sad with his finish in football after such a glorious career. One of the most entertaining players I have watched.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't quite realise what a chequered career Keegan had. Obviously, he doesn’t suffer fools gladly and is willing to stand his ground. The book is an interesting read not only about his life as a player but the ups and downs and seemingly unenviable role of a team manager in both the league and on international duties. Honest and frank, it’s a good read for anyone who is a fan of football.