Bundesliga reports that Hamburg fans paid their respects to the club legend on their first competitive return to their home ground since his passing. Keegan, who earned the nickname 'Mighty Mouse' during his time in Germany, spent three seasons at HSV between 1977 and 1980. He arrived at the club from Liverpool in the summer of 1977, having already won three league titles, two UEFA Cups and the European Cup with the Reds.
In 90 total competitive appearances for Hamburg, Keegan netted 32 times, producing countless unforgettable moments along the way. He helped the Hanseatic side win the Meisterschale in the 1978/79 campaign and reached the final of the European Cup in 1980. Keegan also won the prestigious European Footballer of the Year award in consecutive years in 1978 and 1979. His legacy at the club has endured, not only for his achievements, but for the way he carried himself both on and off the pitch.
Former Hamburg teammate Horst Hrubesch once said of him: “Keegy was the kind of player any team would still love to have today. He always put the team first and had a way of lifting everyone around him.” The sentiment was shared by each and every HSV fan inside the Volksparkstadion on Sunday.