Newcastle and Liverpool planning tribute to Kevin Keegan in season opener

Newcastle United and Liverpool are planning a tribute to Kevin Keegan ahead of their Premier League season opener at St James' Park on Sunday, August 23.

Keegan, who passed away this week at the age of 75, holds iconic status at both clubs.

He enjoyed a trophy-laden six-year spell as a player at Anfield before becoming a beloved figure on Tyneside as both a player and a manager.

Newcastle confirmed in a statement that it is liaising with Liverpool "to ensure his memory is marked fittingly before the game".

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A family statement said Keegan was "surrounded by his wife and daughters in his final moments".

The Tyneside club has announced that its men's, women's and under-21 teams will all don black armbands throughout their pre-season schedule in Keegan's honour.

Eddie Howe's squad will observe a minute's silence before their friendly at Gateshead this Saturday.

At St James' Park, Keegan's image will appear on the stadium screens during the seventh minute of upcoming fixtures in a nod to the number seven shirt he wore during his playing days.

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This tribute is planned for the men's pre-season matches against Bayer Leverkusen and Strasbourg on August 15 and 16, respectively.

The women's team's fixture against Inter Milan on August 16 will feature the same gesture, with fans given the chance to join in a minute's applause for Keegan.

The Premier League itself is also part of these discussions.

Beyond the immediate commemorations, the club has indicated it will seek input from Keegan's family regarding plans for a permanent tribute.

Keegan's playing career began at Scunthorpe United before his move to Liverpool, where he won three league titles, the European Cup, two UEFA Cups and the FA Cup.

He joined Hamburg after leaving Anfield, winning back-to-back Ballon d'Or trophies while in Germany.

The Englishman later played for Southampton before arriving on Tyneside in 1982 for a two-year stint.

A decade later, he returned to Newcastle as manager, steering the club to Premier League promotion in 1992-93 and a memorable second-place finish in 1995-96.

He went on to take charge of Fulham, the England national team and Manchester City.

Keegan's family first disclosed in January that he was receiving treatment after hospital evaluation for persistent abdominal symptoms.

By June, he had publicly confirmed a diagnosis of stage four cancer.

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