And he'll never forget his last visit to Victoria Park as Newcastle United manager.

Keegan took his newly-promoted side, including promising young full-back Mark Robinson, to Hartlepool in 1993 for a pre-season friendly.

Robinson – signed midway through the club's promotion season for £450,000 from Barnsley – left on a stretcher after a horrific tackle by Pools defender Ian McGuckin left him with a badly broken leg.

Keegan said at the time: "We came to Hartlepool to help the club out financially, and we've ended up with a player fighting to save his career."

Robinson was never the same player again, and left for Swindon Town the following summer.

Keegan, meanwhile, vowed never to take a team to Hartlepool again, but while he has forgiven, he clearly hasn't forgotten.

Speaking informally to journalists at Newcastle Airport earlier this month about his pre-season campaign, Keegan brought up the McGuckin tackle.

And he recalled walking into the Fulham dressing room after taking over at Craven Cottage – and discovering McGuckin was among his players.

Needless to say, McGuckin didn't play for the Cottagers again.