Kevin Keegan, English football legend and two-time Ballon d'Or winner, has died

Former England captain and manager Kevin Keegan has died at the age of 75, his family told British media. The two-time Ballon d'Or winner had been battling late-stage cancer, which he spoke about openly in January of this year.

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Kevin Keegan at the age of 75," the family said in a statement carried by Sky Sports. "Kevin, a two-time Ballon d'Or winner, was a loving husband, father and grandfather. The family would like to thank his wonderful medical team for all their support."

Earlier, Keegan himself had spoken about his illness: "I was in a car accident and needed an operation afterwards. During the tests, doctors found that I had cancer."

Keegan was born on 14 February 1951 in Doncaster. He began his career at 17 with Scunthorpe United before joining Liverpool in 1971, where he became a star attacking midfielder and forward. With Liverpool, he won the European Cup (today's Champions League), claimed three English league titles and lifted the UEFA Cup twice.

In 1977, Keegan moved to Germany's Hamburg SV, with whom he won the Bundesliga title. In 1978 and 1979, he won the Ballon d'Or in back-to-back years — the award then given to Europe's best footballer.

In the 1980s, Keegan played for Southampton and Newcastle United, a club he later managed twice. He also managed the England national team, for which he had earlier made 63 appearances and scored 21 goals.

Source: seznamzpravy.cz