Known for his intense demeanor, Keegan often clashed with administrators and opponents.
"I don’t like people to deceive me and tell me lies," he told The Guardian in 2018.
His popularity extended beyond sport into endorsements, television, and music collaborations.
Keegan held profound admiration for Northern Irish talent George Best, ranking him above other icons. "I played against Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Maradona.
But I still say Besty was the best I played against," he told Simon Hatterstone.
After retiring at 33, Keegan moved his family to Spain to escape public scrutiny, calling it "the best decision I made in my life."
He explained that stepping away at his peak prevented decline. "I was at the highest level and the only way was down.
I call it the glass mountain – you can’t climb a glass mountain," he said.
Keegan transitioned into management with Newcastle in 1992, guiding them to the Premier League, before coaching the England national team and Manchester City.
In his later years, his traditional views on football occasionally sparked controversy.
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"I don’t like to listen to ladies talking about the England men’s team at the match because I don’t think it’s the same experience," he said at a public event in Bristol in 2023.
