Meet Kevin Keegan’s ultra-private family following death aged 75 – from pop star daughter to devoted wife
The family of former England manager Kevin Keegan announced their “immense sadness” at the death of the sporting legend on 20 July
© AFP via Getty ImagesFootball legend Kevin Keegan has sadly died at the age of 75.
Once the manager of England’s Three Lions and Newcastle United, Kevin’s family have announced that he lost his battle with cancer after being diagnosed with the illness.
In January, he was admitted to hospital after ongoing stomach problems, later confirming himself in June that the cancer had reached stage four.
Originally born Joseph Kevin Keegan, the footballer began his career at Scunthorpe United in 1968, before playing for Liverpool, Hamburg, Southampton and Newcastle, and later earning numerous managerial positions in the sport.
© Getty ImagesHe was last spotted in June during the midst of the World Cup. The Doncaster-born father-of-two appeared in high spirits while watching the game.
On Monday 20 July, his family confirmed that he had died. “It is with immense sadness that we announce that Kevin Keegan has passed away at the age of 75,” read a family statement. “Kevin had been battling cancer and was surrounded by his wife and daughters in his final moments.
“A double Ballon d’Or winner, Kevin was a much-loved husband, father and grandfather. The family would like to thank Kevin’s incredible medical team for all their support. This is a hugely difficult time, and they are requesting space and privacy.”
As the world mourns the “Mighty Mouse”, who was twice European footballer of the year, so too do those who knew him best – his treasured family and loved ones.
© Getty ImagesLoving wife
Kevin had only one major love of his life. He met his future wife, Jean Woodhouse, at the Waltzers at Doncaster fair four in 1970.
When he first approached her, Jean told him she had a crush on George Best. Kevin initially lied and told her he worked at the steelworks because he didn’t want to sound too “flash”.
“Telling them I was a footballer would have sounded too flash, even though I was an unknown playing for a small club,” he said. He later won her over, and in September 1974, the pair married, later moving to Liverpool after his £35,000 transfer.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesTwo daughters
The couple went on to have two daughters, Laura Jane, born in 1978, and Sarah, born in 1982.
He brought his wife Jean and eldest daughter Laura Jane to Buckingham Palace with him in 1982 when he was awarded an OBE for his services to football.
Kevin previously admitted that it took him years to admit to his daughters that he had been a professional footballer. “[They] thought I was a professional golfer,” he told The Guardian.
He was 27 years old when Laura was born, and by the time his second daughter was two, he retired from the game. They then went to live in Spain for seven years, where he mostly played golf.
© TV Times/Future Publishing via G“It wasn’t until I got the call to go back and manage Newcastle in 1992 that they realised I was involved with football,” he admitted.
When his daughter Sarah was 25, she had her sights set on becoming a singer and even released a single, Come To Me, in the early 2000s.
The song was said to have been inspired by her early life in Spain. “I lived in Spain for about six years, and that’s where I got into dancing and the whole performing thing.”
Far less is known about his daughters now, as Kevin was generally strict about keeping his personal life private.
It’s thought that his daughters have gone on to have children of their own, with paparazzi photos from 2021 showing Kevin and Jean walking hand in hand with two adorable blonde children.
A family man
© Getty ImagesKevin was a well-known family man. His 2018 autobiography, My Life in Football, was dedicated to his wife Jean and former Liverpool boss Bill Shankly.
He credited them for being “two people who have given me so much”.
“It never ceases to amaze me how many people think that my lifetime achievements consist of, in rough order: the time I crashed off my bike in television’s Superstars, my perm, and my top-40 record with Head Over Heels in Love.”
The footballing legend previously praised his wife, who he said always took football with “a pinch of salt”.
Speaking during his career, he said: “She doesn’t get over-involved in it, not when I’m in it. That is the key. After the matches, if you’ve lost, she knows not to say too much for about 24 hours while you get over it, and if you’ve won she knows I might take her out at night.
“We decided early on that football and family should mix as seldom as possible. In our minds there was football and then there was life”.
