How Shepherd helped persuade Keegan to take charge of the Magpies – and also worked tirelessly to ensure Shearer came back home to Tyneside

FREDDY Shepherd was involved at Newcastle United as a board member and chairman for more than 15 years before selling his stake in 2007.

The Geordie businessmen helped to oversee one of United’s most successful periods as the club finished second in successive years under manager Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish, before Sir Bobby Robson again took the club within reach of the title in the early 2000s.

He took over from Sir John Hall as chairman in 1997 and remained in charge until he sold his share to Mike Ashley, following the Hall family’s decision to sell to the Sports Direct Owner in May 2007.

Shepherd could often provoke controversy but his love for his hometown club shone through. Here Andrew Musgrove picks five moments from his tenure which stand out.

BRINGING BACK KEVIN KEEGAN

Kevin Keegan hadn’t been near a football club in a professional manner for many years until he was persuaded to take up the manager’s role at St James’ Park. It was a romantic vision that could have ended in disaster – but Keegan sprinkled stardust on Newcastle.

Shepherd was a key figure in persuading him to come.

Keegan went on to save United from relegation to the Old Third Division before taking the club on an amazing journey – and so close to lifting the Premier League title.

BRINGING BACK ALAN SHEARER

It cost the club £15million - a world record at the time – but it was arguably Shepherd’s best piece of work. Tasked, along with Douglas Hall, to bring Shearer home the pair worked all hours through the summer of 1996 to do just that.

Sir John Hall may have signed the cheques but it was Shepherd who persuaded Blackburn’s Jack Walker to sell Shearer to United instead of Manchester United – and what a deal it turned out to be.

Shearer tweeted on the news of Shepherd’s death: “So sad to hear my great friend and former Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd has passed away. I owe him a huge debt for bringing me home. RIP.”

THE RESIGNATION OF RUUD GULLIT

Gullit was a big-name appointment but the promise of ‘sexy football’

hadn’t quite gone to plan and United were languishing near the bottom of the table. Having fallen out with Rob Lee and refused to pick Alan Shearer for the Tyne-Wear derby, the defeat to the Black Cats meant Gullit’s days were numbered.

And Shepherd admits he was ready to sack him as soon as he walked into his office.

He told the Chronicle: “I phoned him on the Monday morning. We’d had letters, all sorts, from supporters. There had been a dust-up, words said, between the big players and him that morning, in Ruud’s office.

“I phoned him up and asked him to pop in to see me. He came in the room and he was due £750,000. We were ready to honour his contract, a year’s money.

“For once I didn’t say too much too quickly when he came in. Then Ruud said: ‘Before you speak I want to do a Press conference tomorrow saying I’m leaving... and I don’t want anything.’ He had the Press conference, never slagged anyone off and left without a penny.”

BRINGING HOME SIR BOBBY ROBSON

It was the job that Sir Bobby Robson had wanted and he was the man that Shepherd had wanted when Kevin Keegan left in 1997.

Sir Bobby arrived in 1999 to replace Gullit and the impact was immediate: an 8-0 thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday. It was a beginning of an exciting journey that encapsulated title chases and European adventures and will stay with most fans forever.

SIGNING MICHAEL OWEN

Newcastle United needed someone to replace Alan Shearer but not just anyone: they wanted someone of the same quality. Step up Michael Owen, an England and Real Madrid star. It didn’t quite go to plan – Shepherd admitted as much – but it was a huge sign of intent from Shepherd, who was determined that Newcastle would mix it at the top.