August 14: Keegan Signs for Liverpool

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After making a name for himself at Scunthorpe, Kevin Keegan signed for Liverpool for £35,000 on this day in soccer history in 1971. The forward helped the Reds win three First Division titles, two UEFA Cups, two FA Cups and the European Cup before leaving in 1977.

The move was an immediate hit with Keegan firing home in the 12th minute of his first match in the English First Division. He went on to score 100 goals in his 323 appearances in all competitions.

The 1977 UEFA European Cup final, now known as the UEFA Champions League, was his last appearance for Liverpool. Keegan did not score in the match but was fouled by Berti Vogts to set up a penalty late in the game to seal the 3-1 win for the Reds. It was Liverpool’s first UEFA Champions League silverware.

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Keegan left Liverpool to play abroad and signed with Hamburg SV of the German Bundesliga for £500,000.

"The only thing I fear is missing an open goal in front of the Kop,” Keegan said when reflecting about his time at Liverpool. “I would die if that were to happen. When they start singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' my eyes start to water. There have been times when I've actually been crying while I've been playing."

Soccer Birthdays

1949 – Morten Olsen, Danish footballer
1956 – Andy King, English footballer
1966 – Karl Petter Løken, Norwegian footballer
1969 – Stig Tøfting, Danish footballer
1973 – Jared Borgetti, Mexican footballer
1973 – Jay-Jay Okocha, Nigerian footballer
1978 – Anastasios Kyriakos, Greek footballer
1981 – Matthew Etherington, English footballer
1985 – Christian Gentner, German footballer

Soccer Deaths

2003 – Helmut Rahn, German footballer (b. 1929)