Former Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan diagnosed with cancer

Kevin Keegan, the former England striker and manager, has been diagnosed with cancer, his former club, Newcastle United, confirmed on Wednesday.

The club announced that Keegan had recently been hospitalised due to ongoing abdominal symptoms, which led to further investigations revealing the cancer diagnosis. He will begin treatment shortly.

"Kevin Keegan was recently admitted to the hospital for further evaluation of persistent abdominal symptoms. These investigations have confirmed a cancer diagnosis, and Kevin will undergo treatment," the Premier League club, where Keegan both played and managed, said in a statement.

Keegan, 74, had a distinguished playing career, which included successful spells with Liverpool and Hamburg. He also had a challenging tenure as England manager, but it was at Newcastle where he nearly clinched the Premier League title, falling just short in 1996.

During his playing career, Keegan won a host of trophies, including an FA Cup, two UEFA Cups, a European Cup, and three First Division championships while at Liverpool. He later moved to Germany, where he won the Bundesliga with Hamburg and was twice named European Footballer of the Year.

Keegan's playing record is remarkable, having scored 204 goals in 592 league matches and 21 goals in 63 appearances for England, where he also served as captain 31 times.

It is pertinent to mention that in 1999, Keegan succeeded Glenn Hoddle as England manager, but his tenure was short-lived.

Despite high expectations, he was unable to guide the team past the group stage at Euro 2000 and resigned later that year after a defeat to Germany in the final match at the old Wembley Stadium.