October 4th 2023.
Kevin Keegan, the former England manager, has stirred up controversy after expressing his disinterest in 'lady footballers' talking about men's football. The 72-year-old made the remarks last Friday at An Evening With Kevin Keegan OBE in Bristol, where he was largely praising the women's game and its advancements in recent times.
The comments immediately drew a ripple of applause from the 250 people attending the event. According to The Times, Keegan said: “I’m not as keen, I’ve got to be honest, and it may not be a view shared. I don’t like to listen to ladies talking about the England men’s team at the match because I don’t think it’s the same experience. I have a problem with that.”
Keegan believes that women footballers are not qualified to critique the men’s game and that there is little crossover between the two. He went on to say: “The presenters we have now, some of the girls are so good, they are better than the guys. It’s a great time for the ladies. But if I see an England lady footballer saying about England against Scotland at Wembley and she’s saying, ‘If I would have been in that position I would have done this,’ I don’t think it’s quite the same. I don’t think it crosses over that much.”
Keegan also offered some insight into his time as England manager and his experience with the women's national team. He said: “When I was England manager I went to coach the England ladies and I had this perception of what the quality would be like and they were so much better than I thought they were going to be. I joined in and then I thought, ‘I’m getting out of this!’ I couldn’t get the bloody ball and one of them nutmegged me, that finished me off.”
In spite of his criticism, Keegan showed his support for the women’s game. He also voiced his opinion on modern commentators, saying that they “talk too much” and that they "don’t want people like us any more, our day is gone, it’s time for the next generation.” He did, however, praise Gabby Logan, the daughter of Terry Yorath, whom he is set to work with in two days’ time.
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