Kevin Keegan has revealed that he told Eddie Howe he would be 'fine' at Newcastle United if the Magpies boss was 'open and up front' with supporters.
Howe reached out to Keegan before he officially took the job to try and get a greater understanding of the club from the Newcastle legend back in November, 2021. Some managers would have been too proud to pick up the phone, but Howe has been keen to embrace Newcastle's history and respect those who have gone before him from the get-go.
As well as speaking to Keegan, Howe has also used the past to inspire his players to create their own history, whether it is showing the group footage from days gone by or inviting heroes like Alan Shearer to speak to his squad. When it comes to special guests, Howe reiterated to ChronicleLive last week that he will 'definitely arrange' for Keegan to come to the training ground and the 72-year-old has clearly proved an ally for both the Newcastle head coach and the club's owners.
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“I spoke to two of the owners after they had just taken over," Keegan said via the Mirror. "They also went to see Alan Shearer. I was very impressed with them and I’ve been very impressed with Eddie Howe.
“He rang me up at the time and left a message. I got in touch and he asked me what advice would I give him? The one thing I said was to be honest with the supporters. If you are open and up front with them, he would be fine.”
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