Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan delivered one of the most iconic moments in April 1996 with his 'I would love it' rant, and one of his former players reveals that the squad loved the passion he showed.
Delivered on Sky Sports just after Newcastle had beaten Leeds United 1-0, which drew Newcastle level on points with Manchester United - though they had an inferior goal difference - Keegan highlighted how Sir Alex Ferguson's side still had difficult games remaining against Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough.
Ultimately, it didn't prove too difficult, with Manchester United winning 5-0 and 3-0 to win another Premier League title, while Newcastle drew their remaining two fixtures. Despite that, though, the players certainly didn't perceive Keegan's post-match comments negatively.
Newcastle players loved Keegan's iconic rant
"We didn’t see Kevin’s ‘meltdown’, as a lot of people described it, as anything negative," former Newcastle defender Robbie Elliott exclusively tells FourFourTwo. "Kevin wore his heart on his sleeve; he was an emotional person and he couldn’t hide that. We absolutely loved him for it.
"We’ve always taken collective responsibility for how things panned out. It still hurts. I speak to many of the lads about how things might have been different for Newcastle United had we won that title – it could have changed everything that came later.
"I recently played in a charity match between the old boys from the classic Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle game and someone asked me why we were celebrating that game, as we ultimately hadn’t won anything. That misses the point. We celebrate that time because of the football we played and the memories we made. It was the best time to be a Newcastle fan. The whole city believed.
Elliott spent his first spell at Newcastle between 1991 and 1997, with the vast majority of that period spent under Keegan. But while the left-back made just six appearances in the 1995/96 season, and had limited game time for most of his time at St. James' Park, Elliott highlights his respect for the legendary figure.
"Kevin was an inspiration – a leader of men," Elliott adds. "He played for Newcastle and also understood the city as well as the club. Many managers since then have acted like they understand what that means, but they don’t.
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"Kevin was a part of the city’s fabric and appreciated its magic. He was a genius man-manager, too. We didn’t do a great deal of tactical training or set-piece routines. Kevin treated football as it should be: a simple game.
"He picked players he believed could win matches and he made each one of us feel a thousand feet tall, every single day. No exaggeration: it was an honour to play for Kevin Keegan."
