HOW MAC SNATCHED KING KEV

PRIZED CATCH: Keegan as a Saint

IT took just a blank contract 40 years ago for Southampton to land a back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner.

But the historic move was not about cash for Kevin Keegan – if it was Real Madrid, Barcelona or Juventus would have got him as he left Hamburg.

A lot of things just fell into place for Saints manager Lawrie McMenemy in February 1980 as he lined up Keegan, whose last match for Hamburg was defeat in the European Cup final against Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest in May 1980.

The transfer coup of a lifetime had been sparked months beforehand when McMenemy (below) was on the phone to Liverpool club secretary Peter Robinson.

“I was chatting to him about nothing in particular,” r,” said the legendary ex-Saints boss.

“Then I brought up Kevin Keegan, who was thinking about out leaving Germany. I was told Liverpool didn’t want him back, even though they had a clause, and that was the end of it.”

For Liverpool, at least.

McMenemy had guided Southampton to FA Cup glory four years previously – the club’s only major trophy – but they were still establishing themselves as a First Division side.

So he phoned Keegan and sold him on the idea of going to Saints and settling with his family in the area.

McMenemy and financial director Guy Askham met with Keegan in London before England’s 1980 European Championship qualifier with the Republic of Ireland at Wembley.

The meeting was so secret Keegan’s agent was not aware of it.

McMenemy said: “It was going well and Kevin turned out of nowhere and said, ‘Okay then, have you got a contract for me to sign?’ I nearly fell off my chair.

“That’s when our financial director opened up his brief case and handed him a blank contact. He signed there and then and said he would be happy to go through the details after that. I went to Wembley a few days y later to watc watch England an and couldn’t b believe he was my player.”

Five days after b beating

Ire Ireland 2-0, the England captain captain’s unveiling stunned football.

McMenemy added: “No one had a clue. I told the press lads to make sure they were all there but they didn’t know why. We opened the door and Kevin’s wife walked in holding their daughter. Then he came through and there were gasps.

“People started clapping, they couldn’t believe it.”

Forty years on it remains hard to fathom.