After the home leg of the league cup first leg tie v Watford – the one when Nick Holmes scored from the half-way line – and in which Kevin Keegan went off injured in the second half, I waited in The Dell car park after the match for autographs and was the first one to get to KK’s car. Being first there I got the chance to ask him a question and asked “Do you think you’ll be fit for the second leg Kev?”. Having won 4-0 he responded “I don’t think they’ll need me son, do you?”. As Saints fans of a certain age will know we certainly did need him - we lost the second leg 5-1 in normal time and 7-1 after extra time! As had been documented elsewhere, Kevin hung around to sign 60 or so autographs that night (him using my green Pentel pen for every autograph was a great source of pride in my teenage brain!).
What a legend Kevin was. An incredible player that I feel honoured to have seen play in those two years with us – perhaps the greatest two years as the Saints fan for me, watching that star-studded team – and seemingly an outstanding human being. RIP King Kev😇