China wouldn’t interest me: Liverpool and England legend Kevin Keegan on moving to play abroad

Few would suggest that Kevin Keegan had taken the easy path during his glittering career. His route into the game was a tough one, and many of his decisions, both as a player and a manager, have been questioned, but he’s firmly of his own mind and is at ease with his choices.

“I did all the things I wanted to do. I made my own decisions,” he tells The Post in a wide-ranging interview.

Rejected by several local academy sides, at 16 the Doncaster-native wound up taking a job at a local brass works where he was selected to play on the reserve team. After an impressive performance, Keegan was offered a trial at Scunthorpe United, where he would make his senior debut a year later.

Never the most naturally gifted player, it was Keegan’s determination that five years later brought him to the attention of Liverpool and their manager Bill Shankly, who took a liking to the slight youngster and told him he would one day play for England.

Before long, Keegan had established himself as a fan favourite at Anfield and was inspiring the Reds to league titles, domestic silverware and ultimately the European Cup during their golden era.

It was at that point, with the world at his feet, firmly established as one of the finest forwards on the continent, and with a glut of Europe’s top clubs after his signature that Keegan opted to walk away from Liverpool and head for the unfashionable port city of Hamburg and a club considered the ‘sleeping giant’ of Germany.