Kevin Keegan tributes bring ex-players back to St James' Park
Newcastle United will honour Kevin Keegan before Sunday's Premier League opener against Liverpool at St James' Park, with former players and staff returning for an emotional tribute to the club legend who died in July aged 75 after revealing stage four cancer. Ex-players including Warren Barton and Lee Clark will celebrate the two-time Ballon d'Or winner's legacy as both clubs set rivalry aside to remember King Kev.
Key Takeaways
- Keegan tributes take place Sunday before Newcastle host Liverpool in the 2026/27 Premier League season opener.
- Former Entertainers-era players and staff, including Warren Barton and Lee Clark, are returning as special guests.
- Plans include a video tribute, Wor Flags display, centre-circle mosaic from fan shirts, and a minute's applause.
- Ex-players describe Keegan as the "superstar" who restored belief to Newcastle and the city.
- Keegan had vowed there "will be a day when I'll come back" to St James' Park before his death.
Why are Kevin Keegan tributes happening at St James' Park this weekend?
The football world was devastated when Kevin Keegan died in July 2026, aged 75. Thousands of supporters created a memorial outside St James' Park that was seen around the world, laying flowers, shirts, scarves and flags in a spontaneous outpouring of grief.
On Sunday, Newcastle face Liverpool in the first match of the 2026/27 Premier League season. Both clubs will come together to honour a figure loved by supporters on Tyneside and Merseyside alike. Supporters are asked to arrive early to be part of honouring Keegan's life.
Who is returning for the emotional Keegan tribute?
Former players and staff from Keegan's famous Entertainers era have been invited back as special guests. Ex-defender Warren Barton is flying in from the United States, while former midfielder Lee Clark will wear a retro Newcastle shirt with Keegan's name and number seven on the back.
First-team coach Derek Fazackerley and ex-physio Derek Wright are also among those returning. Wright recalled Keegan offering him a piggyback after a training-ground race and ending up in hospital with a prolapsed disc. "He was just great. Unique, really," Wright said.
Clark summed up the mood: "People say to us lads now we were good in never turning down an autograph or a photograph, but we learned from the best because, let's get it right, the superstar of our group was our manager." Barton added: "All of us will have a tear in our eye."
What will happen before Newcastle vs Liverpool on Sunday?
Newcastle United confirmed a series of tributes for the afternoon kick-off. A video looking back at Keegan's legendary playing and managerial career will play on stadium screens, alongside a Wor Flags display involving home and visiting supporters.
After warm-ups, a centre-circle mosaic will be laid from shirts left at St James' Park in Keegan's memory. Both teams will warm up in shirts dedicated to him and wear black armbands during the match.
Immediately before kick-off, players will gather around the centre circle for a minute's applause. A short private ceremony involving both clubs and Keegan's family will also take place.
How did Kevin Keegan transform Newcastle United?
Keegan took Newcastle from the brink of relegation to the third tier to the cusp of winning the Premier League within a few years. When he returned as manager in February 1992, the club were second-bottom in the Second Division after a 5-2 loss at Oxford United.
His first game ended in a 3-0 win against Bristol City and Newcastle stayed up. The following season they won their opening 11 league games and surged to promotion. Fazackerley said Keegan "was never happy with mediocrity" and always drove the club forward.
Clark credited him with giving the club its belief back and the city its identity. Keegan had vowed there "will be a day when I'll come back" to St James' Park. Sunday's tributes fulfil that promise in spirit, if not in person.
For more on celebrity and sports tributes, see our Celebrity Breaking News hub. Full details are on the Newcastle United website and in BBC Sport's coverage.