Kevin’s incisive co-commentary:
“The substitute is about to come on – he’s a player who was left out of the starting line-up today.”
“Despite his white boots, he has real pace.”
“He’s using his strength. And that is his strength – his strength.”
Kev’s vague approach to player physiology:
“I don’t think there’s anyone bigger or smaller than Maradona.”
“They compare Steve McManaman to Steve Heighway and he’s nothing like him, but I can see why – it’s because he’s a bit different.”
Kev generally had a very solid grasp on the passing of time:
“The 33 or 34-year-olds will be 36 or 37 by the time the next World Cup comes around, if they’re not careful.”
Though not always:
“Goalkeepers aren’t born today until they’re in their late twenties or thirties.”
“I’ve had an interest in racing all my life, or longer really.”
There was once a touching appeal for compassion for unfortunate David Beckham:
“I would ask anyone to try to understand the world he lives in. We all have to accept that he is married to Spice Girl Victoria Adams – and I think he copes very well with it.”
He did look for one or two basics in a player:
“You can’t play with a one-armed goalkeeper… not at this level.”
Though his teamtalks occasionally lacked succintness:
“The last thing I wrote on the board before we came out was: ‘If you go out there and show me that determination and you show this crowd that you want it more, they’ll be that twelfth man for you. They’ll give you that extra lift.’”
Rules is rules, however, to Kev’s mind:
“Argentina won’t be at Euro 2000 because they’re from South America.”
He could sometimes be accused of setting the bar low:
“You can’t do better than go away from home and get a draw.”
Kev had his contradictions:
“Richard Dunne has always been in the frame for me. When he has been out of the frame it was because he took himself out of it for one reason or another.”
“Gary always weighed up his options, especially when he had no choice.”
“England have the best fans in the world, and Scotland’s fans are second-to-none.”
“I came to Nantes two years ago and it’s much the same today, except that it’s completely different.”
Kev put football on the map:
“Hungary is very similar to Bulgaria. I know they’re different countries…”
Kev the medical man:
“In some ways, cramp is worse than having a broken leg.”
Kev the philosopher:
“I know what is around the corner – I just don’t know where the corner is.”
Kev’s mixed metaphors:
“I’d love to be a mole on the wall in the dressing room.”
“The tide is very much in our court now.”
Kev didn’t have a clear approach to the transfer windows:
“Well, that’s like asking me who is on my Christmas card list. I sit down with the wife and I say ‘Did they send us one last year or this year’, and if they haven’t we rip the name up and throw it in the bin. But then, a couple of days after Christmas the card might arrive late so we do a card for them on the 28th and date it the 22nd and send it off and hope they don’t notice…I haven’t a clue what I’m talking about.”
And what about the wisest thing Kevin Keegan ever said?
“Life wouldn’t be worth living if you could buy confidence because the rich people would have it all and everybody else would… would have to make their own arrangements.”