Kevin Keegan, the two-time Ballon d’Or-winning soccer star who captained and coached England and won the European Cup with Liverpool, has died. He was 75.

His death was announced on Monday by former club Newcastle, where he had been both a player and coach. Keegan revealed last month that he had stage four cancer.

“One of the most iconic, influential and deeply loved figures in our club’s history,” Newcastle said.

For a time in the 1970s, Keegan transcended the English game with his celebrity status.

Keegan, one of just four Englishmen to win the Ballon d’Or, wasn’t just a brilliant soccer player who dovetailed nimbleness and an eye for goal with a relentless hunger and work rate stemming from his working-class upbringing in northern England.

He was also a trendsetter off the field, through his haircut – a perm, which other footballers across Europe started to copy – and his move into celebrity culture that saw him release a single, appear in an after-shave ad with heavyweight boxing great Henry Cooper, and go on TV shows.

Keegan was also something of a trailblazer in his sport as one of the first English players to move to a continental team when he left Liverpool, where he’d just won the European Cup, for German club Hamburger SV in 1977.

“For Hamburg fans he will remain above all a crowd favorite, an exceptional player, and one of the best footballers ever to wear the rhombus (crest) on his chest,” the Bundesliga club said.

It was in Hamburg where Keegan won the Ballon d’Or – then called the European Footballer of the Year award – in 1978 and 1979 and featured in another European Cup final, a 1980 loss to Nottingham Forest.

Keegan scored 21 times in 63 games for England and played at the 1982 World Cup, his only appearance on soccer’s biggest stage after the country failed to qualify in 1974 and 1978.

Coaching career 
His 16-year coaching career from 1992-2008 was memorable for almost leading Newcastle, the team where he retired as a player, to the Premier League title in 1995-96, only for a late-season collapse which included Keegan’s unforgettable outburst of “I’d love it if we beat them, love it” in a nod toward Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United – the eventual champion.

He then showed more vulnerability in a 20-month spell in charge of England in 1999 and 2000, during which the team failed to get out of its group at the 2000 European Championship before Keegan resigned after the first game of World Cup qualifying – a 1-0 home loss to Germany in the last game at the old Wembley Stadium.

He announced his departure to Football Association officials in an emotional chat in a toilet cubicle.

Born in Doncaster on February 14, 1951, Keegan first played for fourth-tier Scunthorpe in the English league before joining Liverpool in 1971 and, under iconic manager Bill Shankly, immediately forging a strong on-field relationship with John Toshack in a “big man, little man” strike partnership.

Keegan, 5-feet-8 (1.73 meters) and affectionately nicknamed “Mighty Mouse,” fed off the knockdowns and presence of the tall and slender Toshack.

That combination propelled the Reds to an English league-UEFA Cup double in 1973, and Keegan won two more league titles (1976 and 1977), an FA Cup (1974), another UEFA Cup (1976) when he scored in both legs of the final against Club Brugge, and the big one – the European Cup in 1977 – in a trophy-laden stint at Anfield.

“His legacy at Liverpool will be forever etched in history,” the club said.

“He was regarded as a hero wherever he went.” 
In that 1977 final, Keegan won the penalty – given after he was fouled by Berti Vogts – that was converted by Phil Neal to seal a 3-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Hamburg heights 
It was widely reported that Keegan then became European soccer’s highest-paid footballer when he joined Hamburg, whose players were initially resentful of the Englishman arriving on big money. He won them round and captured his first Ballon d’Or in 1978 – despite Hamburg only finishing 10th in the German league in his first season – and then helped the club win the title in 1979, with a reward being another Ballon d’Or.

“Hamburger SV will always cherish the memory of its former championship-winning player and two-time Ballon d’Or winner,” the German club said.

Off the field, Keegan’s status soared. That year, he released “Head Over Heels in Love,” which finished higher in the singles’ charts in Germany (No. 10) than in England (No. 31), and opened up his home for a behind-the-scenes documentary following his life.

In his third season at Hamburg, the team lost the European Cup final and the Bundesliga to Bayern Munich, and Keegan returned to England with Southampton. There he was the English league’s top scorer with 30 goals in the 1981-82 season – his second and last at the club before moving to Newcastle, his father’s favorite team.

With his work rate and personality, Keegan was adored at St. James’ Park – setting the seed for his later coaching roles there – until he retired in the summer of 1984, though he did put his boots back on in 1985 for a couple of guest appearances for Australian team Blacktown in the Sydney suburbs.

Manchester United can afford fresh hope in their pursuit of West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville despite Saudi side Al-Hilal reportedly agreeing a £68million deal to buy the winger

Crysencio Summerville may yet become a Manchester United player this summer after a delay regarding his move to Al-Hilal. It emerged this week that West Ham had agreed to sell their winger in a move potentially worth £68million.

However, the Netherlands international has reportedly put the brakes on his Riyadh transfer. And that postponement could give United the opening they need to poach a deal of their own if they act quickly enough.

Gazzetta dello Sport has reported Roma are also hoping to capitalise on their late lifeline in negotiations. And they have one of their own to thank after Donyell Malen allegedly intervened to convince his countryman of a move to the Stadio Olimpico.

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Summerville’s World Cup team-mate is described as having reached out to his friend at the 11th hour to try and deliver him to the Italian capital. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini is also purported to have waded in with a phone call of his own to try and turn the tide.

Summerville has his countrymen at United, too, with Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee already part of the furniture at Old Trafford. However, neither player was part of Ronald Koeman’s World Cup squad and thus won’t necessarily carry as much sway turning his head towards Manchester.

Roma’s financial package was unsurprisingly inferior in every way compared to that of Al-Hilal. West Ham had agreed to a sale worth £43m, a club-record purchase for the Giallorossi, while reports put Al-Hilal’s accepted bid somewhere between £60m and £68m.

It’s also reported the Saudi giants put up an offer that would see Summerville earn £12.5m per season, or £240,000 a week. That works out at almost four times the £70,000-a-week agreement Roma had in place.

United are reportedly still on the hunt for a winger capable of playing off the left flank. That’s despite speculation suggesting Michael Carrick is eager to see Marcus Rashford return to the fold at Old Trafford following his loan at Barcelona.

The club has numerous options capable of playing off the right wing in Bryan Mbeumo, Patrick Dorgu and Amad. Matheus Cunha was the most prominent player off the left for United last term but may be preferred more centrally in Carrick’s attack.

Summerville, 24, was one of the bright lights in a Netherlands World Cup campaign that ended in disappointing fashion. The former Leeds star only made his debut for De Oranje in early June before bagging back-to-back goals in his first two competitive appearances at the World Cup.

Those performances put some of Europe’s elite on notice in light of West Ham’s relegation to the Championship. However, he’s clearly also made an impression in Saudi Arabia given Al-Hilal’s willingness to pay a premium fee for his services.

Gazzetta’s report suggested part of Gasperini’s appeal to the player involved the prospect of a future move back to the Premier League. However, United may yet skip the need for that stage altogether if they decide to move for his signature now.

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Roberto De Zerbi feels Tottenham’s summer spending spree is “not finished yet” as he looks to “build a soul” for his new-look team.

Spurs have already spent some £237m as the club look to move on from consecutive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League – and having only avoided relegation on the final day of last season.

Sandro Tonali arrived from Newcastle in a club-record deal which could rise to £100m, which followed on from a £85m swoop for Mateus Fernandes from relegated West Ham and Jan Paul van Hecke coming in from Brighton for £52m.

Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have also signed on as free agents, though there have been outgoings – with Will Lankshear becoming the second highly-rated youngster, after Luka Vuskovic, to leave the club as he moved to Middlesbrough in a death worth up to £20m.

De Zerbi believes everyone is fully bought in to the “project” under the Italian coach, who took over for the run-in following the departure of Igor Tudor.

“I feel very good because we are working well. I think we are building a very good team, with some very important new players, and we are starting the project in another part of the history of the club,” De Zerbi told SpursPlay.

“I spent a lot of time (understanding the club) before joining in April and I knew very well the ideas of the owner of the club and the plan was clear before the Everton game.

“Now we are inside (the project), we are excited with the idea to build a very strong team. Now we have to finish as it is not finished yet, our transfer market, in and out, but at the moment I am very happy, very proud and very positive.

“To build a soul, to build a new team with the qualities for sure but with soul, with passion, with all the values we have.

“Football now is not just on the pitch, it’s not just with the ball, it is before in the private life, it is how many hours during the day you think you are doing your job and they have to be happy and proud to stay in Tottenham.”

Spurs are set to play their opening first pre-season fixture against MK Dons at the training ground in Enfield on Wednesday night.

De Zerbi hopes it will be the first step in a return to seeing Spurs moving forwards once again.

“I think Tottenham deserve to compete for the top of the Premier League,” the former Brighton and Marseille boss said.

“I know very well the Premier League is very tough, but if you have a good motivation inside of the players, a good organisation on the pitch and outside of the pitch, I think you work well and at the end you reach your target.”

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Caitlin Clark will not participate in the 2026 WNBA 3-point contest. Neither will two-time champion Sabrina Ionescu, who is the reigning champ and has the highest point total (37) in the event’s history, including the NBA. Nor will Kayla McBride, the active leader in 3-pointers (793). 

All three were invited but declined to take part, according to ESPN.

The WNBA did get No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd, as well as Marina Mabrey, who has tied both the single-game records for points (53) and 3-pointers (nine) this season. They’ll be joined in the field by Rhyne Howard, Bridget Carleton, Janelle Salaun and Natisha Hiedeman, as the 3-point contest expands to six participants for the first time since 2023 and headlines All-Star Friday Night at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. 

Mabrey and Howard have both participated in the past, but neither has won. Everyone else is making their debut in the event. 

Some of the best moments in WNBA All-Star history have come in the 3-point contest. Allie Quigley winning for a record fourth time in front of her home crowd in Chicago in 2022 stands out, as does Ionescu making 25 of 27 shots, including 20 in a row, in her record-setting 37-point performance in 2023. 

The event has a way of living up to expectations, and may do so again this year, but the biggest storyline heading into Friday night will be who’s not participating. While the league has faced plenty of deserved criticism this season and in years past — Ionescu’s record-setting performance infamously came in the middle of a Friday afternoon — this one is on the players. 

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Some of the reluctance is understandable. All-Star Weekend has become such an economic engine that it’s no longer a break. Players, especially those as popular as Clark and Ionescu, are shuttled from appearance to appearance to satisfy sponsors and fans. And for those who are also playing in the All-Star Game, it’s easy for the entire weekend to disappear. Declining the 3-point contest is one of the few ways they can reclaim some of their time. 

And this year, specifically, Clark and Ionescu have both dealt with injuries they are still working to fully overcome, while McBride was snubbed for an All-Star reserve spot and may not even be in Chicago. 

But there will always be explanations and excuses. Rest and recovery are important. So is putting on a show for the fans, growing the game and building a legacy. Once again, the league couldn’t announce the contestants until a few days beforehand, and there’s a feeling that they had to beg players to show up. And, once again, the biggest name in the sport is sitting out. 

Clark declined an invitation in her rookie season, had to sit out due to injury last year in Indianapolis and said no again this year. Attempts to get her to participate in a two-on-two version of the Stephen vs. Sabrina challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend also failed. At this point, it’s fair to wonder if Clark, who revolutionized the game with her long-range shooting, will ever take part in a 3-point contest. 

One of the few criticisms of LeBron James’ NBA career is that he never participated in the Slam Dunk Contest, which arguably contributed to the event’s demise. It would be a shame if Clark follows the same path. 

As we count down to the first college football game of the 2026 season, we continue our new series: The records of each top CFB program in the West against all the others in the region.

Some schools have met many times over the years, while others are beginning new rivalries in the wake of recent realignment.

For each opponent in the table below, we provide the total games played, wins, losses, ties, winning percentage, first year played, and most recent contest.

We continue with San Diego State, which has played 592 games against regional foes, winning 293, losing 285, and recording 14 ties, for a winning percentage of .507.

The Aztecs have recorded the most wins (32) and played the most games (63) against Fresno State, and lost the most games (29) against BYU.

Here is a breakdown of San Diego State’s records vs. the region’s teams.

Manchester United have been met with a backlash from a number of supporter groups after some fans had their online season-ticket accounts restricted.

The club’s official fans’ forum, Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST), The 1958 and The Red Army are among the groups to hit back at United, who are aiming to crack down on the illegal resale of tickets.

However, the club’s approach has been criticised for being too heavy-handed and led to concerns the constraints on the accounts could lead to the revocation of season tickets for many innocent fans.

A joint statement from the groups said: “Professional touting, automated purchasing and those who exploit supporters for financial gain have no place at Manchester United and deserve robust action.

“However, that action must be fair, proportionate and transparent. Long-standing supporters who have followed Manchester United for decades, often across multiple generations of the same family, should never feel they are being treated as suspects without clear evidence, due process or a meaningful opportunity to respond to the allegations made against them.

“The current approach has created a growing perception among supporters of a ‘ban first and ask questions later’ process. Investigations should establish the facts before sanctions are imposed.

“The club and its supporters share the same objective: ensuring tickets are used fairly by genuine Manchester United supporters while protecting the integrity of the ticketing system.

“That objective will only be achieved through trust, transparency, proportionate enforcement, better-designed systems and meaningful engagement with supporters, not by creating an environment where loyal fans fear losing relationships with the club that have been built over decades.”

MUST claimed at the weekend the club sent out “account suspensions and season ticket cancellation notices to thousands of supporters”, adding they have been “overwhelmed with requests for help”.

The supporter groups statement added: “The fans’ forum has rightly called on the club to pause the issuing of further suspensions and to halt any cancellation of season tickets while meaningful discussions take place.”

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Animesh Kujur isn’t losing sleep over surrendering the tag of India’s fastest man to Gurindervir Singh. Instead, the national record-holder in the 200m wants his performances at the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Asian Games to do the talking.

After Gurindervir’s historic sub-10.10 run rewrote the men’s 100m national record in Odisha earlier this year, Kujur has inevitably been asked about reclaiming the crown. But the Odisha sprinter has chosen to park that conversation for now.

“Just waiting for Asian Games,” Kujur told PTI when asked about regaining India’s fastest-man tag.

When pressed further, he smiled and added: “Yeah, just wait till the Asian Games. Then we’ll talk again.” 
The calm response is characteristic of the 22-year-old, who has steadily emerged as one of India’s brightest sprinting prospects under British coach Martin Owens.

The athlete-coach partnership began during the Under-23 National Championships after Kujur, impressed by the progress of Reliance Foundation athletes Amlan Borgohain and Jyothi Yarraji, decided to join the programme.

“I had started searching about Reliance and the athletes there. I came to know about Amlan and Jyothi Didi. I saw coach Martin wearing the Reliance T-shirt. My coach asked me whether I wanted to join Reliance after seeing my race, and I said yes. From that day, we have been working together,” Kujur recalled. 

Owens, though, had his own version of the story.

“The true story is that he came and pestered me and begged and begged and begged me to coach him,” he joked. “But obviously he thought I was James. He got the wrong coach.” 
Behind the humour lay genuine belief.

“He ran 21.1 and you could see he was really tight and very raw. If we could just polish that a bit, he was going to run fast. Every day and every week we try to get a little bit better. He’s ambitious, which is very good, and we’re always striving to be the best we can.” 
Owens credited Kujur’s progress to India’s improving high-performance ecosystem.

“We’ve got fantastic facilities in Odisha, excellent support from Reliance, and great physios. People think India is way behind, but in many ways we’re well ahead. The athletes can focus entirely on athletics, and we’re benefiting from that.” 
The British coach also dismissed any notion of rivalry turning sour after Gurindervir’s record-breaking exploits.

“I think what you’ve got to realise is we’re really pleased that Guri’s running that fast. Psychologically, running 10.0 has made such a difference to Indian sprinting. Congratulations to Guri and his coaching team.

“We want a healthy rivalry. That’s what we want. We don’t want a destructive rivalry. We’re as happy as anybody else that he’s running that fast.” 
Turning point 
Owens believes Indian sprinting has reached a turning point.

“Four years ago everybody was saying breaking 10 seconds was impossible. Now it’s about when. Guri (Gurindervir), Mani (Manikanta Hoblidhar) and Pranav (Pramod Gurav) are all pushing the standards up. You can’t be complacent anymore.

“We’ve got a really good crop of young sprinters coming through and they all believe they can be the first to break 10 or 20 seconds. That’s good. We need that swagger.” 
He is convinced the country’s sprint revolution has only just begun.

“India will get there. Then it’ll be 9.8, then 9.7. That’s where we want to go. If we can find an Indian Bolt, we’ll be there.” 
Kujur said racing overseas has accelerated his development.

“When I race faster athletes, I know exactly where I stand. In India, especially over 200 metres, I’m usually ahead from the start. That’s why competing in Europe is important. I learn what I need to improve technically and then work on it in training.” 
Far from being intimidated by packed stadiums, he is motivated by the big stage.

“People think athletes get scared in front of huge crowds, but I feel excited. Even at the World Championships I wasn’t under pressure. I was excited because I was racing against the best and wanted to show what I could do.” 
The overseas exposure has also helped him grow beyond the track.

“This year I travelled alone, competed by myself in Germany and even set my personal best there. Every trip teaches me something about how to travel, how to compete and how to handle pressure. I’ll try to implement all those learnings at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.” 
Kujur said relay commitments have limited his opportunities in the 200m this season.

“We haven’t had many 200-metre races this year. I only got one in Taiwan, and because of the rain, I only ran the heats. I want more quality races over 200 metres and improve there the same way I’ve improved in the 100.” 
Owens said the World Relays and Asian Relays had affected Kujur’s 200m schedule but added: “The Commonwealth Games will be good and then the Asian Games will be super good.

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Jul 22, 2026

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