Tributes pour in after the loss of 'Multimodal hat-trick hero' Kevin Keegan

English football legend Kevin Keegan, a three-time Multimodal celebrity host, has died aged 75 after a battle with cancer.

‘Our Kev’ as he was known to his fans in Newcastle, was a two-time Ballon d’Or winner, European Cup champion and three-time English league champion, during a playing career spanning Liverpool, Hamburg, Southampton, and Newcastle United, where, eight years after retiring as a player, he returned as manager, guiding them back to the top flight of English football and just falling short in one of the most memorable Premier League title fights, before taking over as England manager.

With his football success stretching across some of the world’s great port cities, it was fitting that he should take on presenting duties at one of the UK’s largest logistics events. Many in the supply chain and logistics industry got to know Mr Keegan, loving him for his down-to-earth, humorous, and inspiring award ceremony presentations at the annual Multimodal supply chain event in Birmingham.

Event director Robert Jervis paid tribute to Mr Keegan, describing him as “a true legend – and a Multimodal hat-trick hero”.

Many in the logistics industry who had crossed paths with Mr Keegan at the event followed the comments on LinkedIn with their memories. Allan Williams, director of Davies Turner, wrote: “He always spent time with you in the bar afterwards, not just two minutes but a proper conversation.”

Simon Moore, retired SVP of commercial strategy at DP World: “I recall the first time we invited Mr Keegan to MM, a great speaker and true gentleman his ability to tie together his own career and our own ports and shipping industry was spot-on.”

Murray Gibson, director of Murray Gibson Associates: “At one MM awards I mentioned to him that my granddaughter was playing for a local junior team. He asked for her name and took my details. A few days later a framed dedicated photo turned up. She was made up. RIP Kevin.”

When I, as an industry and Multimodal newbie, met Mr Keegan at the 2024 event in a lift. I nervously asked if he’d guest-star on our three-month old podcast, and he more-than-happily obliged and told me to find him that evening. And he didn’t mind when I approached him at the awards dinner between starter and main course with a microphone in hand. You can listen to an extract of the interview with “King Kev” by clicking below.

As stated by many in the industry who met him, he was always generous with his time and energy at Multimodal, and he will be hugely missed. RIP from all of us at The Loadstar, our thoughts are with his friends and family.

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