FOOTBALL MOURNS A GIANT: TWO-TIME BALLON D'OR WINNER KEVIN KEEGAN DIES AT 75 When you look at the history of English football, very few figures ever left a footprint as massive as Kevin Keegan. He was not just a world-class player. He was not just a charismatic manager. Keegan was a cultural force who redefined what an English footballer could achieve on the global stage. On July 20, 2026 , the football world lost one of its absolute legends. Keegan passed away at the age of 75 following a brief battle with stage four cancer, surrounded by his wife Jean and his daughters. The news brought an outpouring of emotion from every corner of the sport. Former players, managers, political leaders, and millions of supporters united to pay tribute to the man affectionately known as "Mighty Mouse." Leading those tributes was former England and Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer , whom Keegan famously signed for a then world-record £15 million fee in 1996. Shearer summed up the ...