‘I found it difficult, disappointment was my overriding emotion’ Lee Clark explains why he was one of the only Geordies who wasn’t celebrating Kevin Keegan’s arrival as Newcastle United manager in 1992

Newcastle players Lee Clark and Lee Makel form a wall during a second division match against Southend United at Roots Hall on January 1, 1992 in Southend, England, Southend beat Newcastle 4-0 in a lunchtime kick off, on new years day. Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan with his first team coach Terry McDermott during Keegan's first game as manager against Bristol City at St James' Park, 8th February 1992. Newcastle won the match 3-0.

Kevin Keegan picked up the phone in February 1992 and listened as Newcastle United’s new owner, Sir John Hall, uttered a sentence that would change the club’s history. “There’s only two people who can save Newcastle United, and we’re talking on the telephone now”.

Newcastle were staring down the barrel of relegation to the third tier of English football, a level they had never dropped to in their history. Sir John had relieved Ossie Ardiles of his duties after a 4-3 home defeat to Charlton, proceeded by a 5-2 defeat away at Oxford.

Ardiles was a big name, but he had got the blend of youth and experience wrong during his first full season as Newcastle boss. He gambled on youth, and it had backfired.

Kevin Keegan was the saviour, but Lee Clark was still in mourning