Following the sad passing of former England captain and manager Kevin Keegan, figures from across the footballing spectrum have been paying tribute to the man they called “King Kev”. 

We have been talking with former Bromley and Cray Wanderers boss Neil Smith who played under Keegan in the Al-Fayed days at Fulham and was delighted to share his memories of his old boss with us. 

“It’s been a tough week,” Smith admitted when we spoke over the weekend.

“I had only just returned home from a trip, and my daughter came and told me the news, and it really hit me! Went straight to watch the news and to see the news of Kevin dying.”

“Absolutely devastated for his family – he was a fantastic guy, and it was a real shock and an emotional one too!” 

Smith has been signed at Craven Cottage from Gillingham in 1997 by Keegan’s predecessor Micky Adams, but under the new man, Smith went on to make seventy five appearances for Fulham – he recalled, “It was weird really as Micky had just signed me and I got on really well with him and his assistant Alan Cork, and then they were sacked by the club and we were told that Kevin Keegan and Ray Wilkins were coming in!”

“I was devasted for Micky as he’d signed me but then on the other hand, you had Kevin coming in who had been at Newcastle who were “The entertainers” as they were in the Premier League and was also my boyhood hero – someone I grew up with watching with Liverpool and then with England as captain – he was the reason I grew up with wanting to play football.”

“I loved Kevin… my mum and dad got me I remember a Hamburg shirt as soon as he left for Germany – so it really was mixed emotions, but when he came in as much as it was a shock, I got to meet my all-time hero!” 

“He was brilliant on the training ground and training itself was absolutely brilliant!” Smith went on.

“It was a pleasure every day; there was no tactical training, it was all small, sided games, finishing – which is probably how he’d been at Newcastle; don’t worry about defending we’ll score more than them – and that was how we played, almost all-out attack.”

“He brought in Paul Peschisolido, he then brought in Barry Hayles, he had Geoff Horsfield, he then signed Dirk Lehman, he really was very attack minded!” 

“Playing for Fulham at the time was all out joy – it really was all out attack!” 

“To me he was amazing! I must admit the first time we had a good chat after he’d been there a couple of weeks. He told me that he had been going through the squad and that he could get me a good club and more money if you want, it’s your decision!”

“I just said to him, “Why would I want to leave Fulham? You are just bringing in all these players – he’s added Kit Symons and Chris Coleman at this point too – why would I want to leave?”

I told him “All I ask for is a chance…”  to which he replied. “That’s the best news for me and the Club!”  

“We ended up winning League One (that is now) that season and played over half the games. We had a great Cup run – we won at Villa Park. We played United at Old Trafford, Liverpool at Anfield, we beat Southampton, it really was just an unbelievable season!” 

“Any other time someone may have accepted his offer for the money, but I was willing to work, and he gave me the opportunity to stay and play for the great Club and the great man that was Kevin Keegan!”