Kevin Keegan and Terry McDermott were the perfect partnership.
When KK first joined Newcastle United in summer 1982, Terry Mac returned to St James’ Park after eight years at Anfield following his move from NUFC in 1974.
Having played together with Liverpool, Terry McDermott and Kevin Keegan reunited in the Newcastle United team which brought promotion in that exhilarating 1983/84 season, having gone close in the 1982/83 campaign.
Then of course came the management days at St James’ Park.
Terry McDermott described as Kevin Keegan’s ‘Buffer’, Terry Mac the perfect partner for KK as he revolutionised Newcastle United.
After the sad loss of Kevin Keegan, Neale McDermott (Terry’s son) released a statement on behalf of Terry McDermott and his family which is essential reading.
Photo by The Mag
Now Neale has done his own individual tribute to Kevin Keegan.
Born in 1985, Neale McDermott wasn’t around for the 1982-1984 era when his dad and KK played together for United.
However, when Kevin Keegan came in to rescue Newcastle United as their new manager in February 1992, a six-year-old Neale moved to Tyneside as Terry McDermott relocated his family after he answered his best mate’s call to be his number two at St James’ Park.
Neale would later join the Newcastle United Academy and the midfielder later went on to play for the likes of Carlisle, Stockport, Darlington and Gateshead.
These days he is working as an agent.
Via his personal social media, Neale McDermott releasing this brilliant personal tribute to Kevin Keegan.
‘King Kev,
I could write a million words about the impact you have had on my Dad and my Family’s lives but that still wouldn’t do it any justice.
As both of you were living happy retirements after your playing days a phone call from Kevin in 1992 would change our lives as a family forever without us realising. Kevin was the new manager of Newcastle Utd and wanted my Dad to go as his assistant manager, without hesitation we were up the M6 uprooting our lives in Liverpool for a new life in Newcastle.
A childhood of incredible memories began not just for me but for every child and adult for that matter in Newcastle, we all went on the rollercoaster that would be the ‘entertainers’. School holidays were at Maiden Castle watching the team training, but not just for me , everyone was invited. 5/6/7 thousand watched them training every day, Kevin wanted everyone to be part of the ride, he didn’t want anyone to not feel part of it all. You didn’t need to know Kevin to know him, his personality was warm and infectious which made people gravitate to him and hang on his every word.
Together they dragged a club and city from the wilderness to the front and back pages of every paper and made Geordies be proud to be from Newcastle again. Everyone wanted a piece of Newcastle on and off the pitch and that was because of Kevin’s passion and charisma for the club and the Geordie people.
34 years later and we are still here in Newcastle having lived great lives and created countless friendships and memories, if it wasn’t for Kevin who knows how our lives would have been shaped. They remained close friends right until the end, and my dad always had that extra glint in his eye when Kevin would call or spring in his step when he knew he was seeing him, he had that effect on everyone he was that special a man.
Kevin might be gone but his legacy will remain forever with the McDermott family and the whole Geordie and Football World, forever we will now all ‘walk in a Keegan Wonderland’
Thank You KK and ‘Wish you Well’