Alan Shearer

The club's all-time record goalscorer was signed by Keegan for a then-world record fee in 1996, and also captained England during Keegan's time in charge of the Three Lions

He was my hero. He was my manager. For Newcastle and England.

He was my friend. A man everyone loved. For his passion. For his energy but most of all for his friendship. He loved football and he loved Newcastle more than anything.

I’m so honoured to have known him. We will miss you Kevin.

Warren Barton

A mainstay of the Entertainers era, full back Barton was brought to St. James' Park by Keegan in 1995, and went on to play over 200 times for the club

There's great sadness, but a lot of love and a lot of good times and memories. That time - mid-20s, going to Newcastle, playing for Kevin Keegan, being part of the Entertainers with David Ginola and Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand and Rob Lee - was the best time of my life. And Kevin made that happen. I owe him everything.

When I signed for Newcastle, he drove all the way to London with Terry McDermott. He met me at the hotel, tapped me on the shoulder and just said, 'come and join a big club'. You only had to look at him. He won the Ballon d'Or twice as an English player. You'd forget about all his accolades, because he was just so normal - he treated everybody the same. He wanted the best for everybody, and that is something I carry with me.

Him and Sir Bobby Robson were cut from the same cloth. They both loved the area, first and foremost, and the people. And they wanted to do their best for the people - not for themselves, or for the directors, but for the people. That's why people love him.

His enthusiasm, his passion for life, was infectious, and he just had a natural way of connecting with all different types of people, whether that was Sir John Hall, the fans or people who were working in the kitchen. We mirrored what he was, which was hard-working, doing our best and trying to entertain. He made you want to play for the club. KK was part of believing in something and bringing a dream into reality.

Him and Les Ferdinand had a really good connection. I shared a room with Les for two years and Les was a sharp dresser; we used to look after ourselves with clothes. Les and Kevin used to laugh about Kevin's outfits that he'd wear, and Les, with that big smile, would have fun with KK - 'you're looking good today, gaffer'. He might not have, but he loved it! They had a really special relationship. I know Les will be feeling the same as we all are. He was a great man.

I can only imagine what that first home game of the season against Liverpool at St. James' Park will be like, and the feeling of sadness - but also celebration. That's what I want. There will be 52,000 fans there. Just sing his name. Sing it as loud as you can.

Les Ferdinand

Ferdinand also joined the Magpies in 1995 and was prolific under Keegan as United finished runners up in the Premier League in both of his seasons on Tyneside

I'm quite stunned. I'd seen Kevin a few months ago at a dinner in Newcastle. Afterwards we spent a few hours together with John Beresford and some others just reminiscing, talking, having a laugh and a joke. It was probably only a few weeks later I heard about his cancer. A pal of mine saw him a few weeks ago with John Beresford again, and he was in good spirits. To hear the news today was a shock, and a sad day for football and everyone who knew him, loved him and spent time with him.

As a person, Kevin always had time for people. He made you feel like you were special. He had this knack - it didn't matter who he spoke to, he made you feel like you were the only person in the room. As a player my time with him was too short - I only spent a year and a bit with him - but he was a special person and I got on really well with him.

There was one other icon that I always felt Kevin was similar to, and that was Muhammad Ali. He had that ability to make you feel like you were the most important person in the world when you spoke to him. Not everyone has that. Kevin Keegan had that. He was a special human being. Not just a footballer, not just a manager, but a special human being.

I know how important and what a figurehead he was for Newcastle United Football Club, and the North East region in general. But he was the first real superstar footballer I saw in my life. He did things footballers weren't doing at the time and he was the first to do it all - (BBC TV show) Superstars and everything else. He was one of the first footballers I remember going abroad, winning the Ballon d'Or twice in Germany. We'd be doing him a disservice to not talk about him in wider football terms, not just in terms of this region.

It's a real shame that our 1995/96 team didn't win anything, because he set out to not only win, but to entertain while doing it. It was about enjoyment, going out and feeling free and expressing yourself, doing what made you happy. Sometimes you can forget that because of the trials and tribulations of life. But he tried to bring a lighter note to it, and got everyone to enjoy it. I think that showed in the brand of football we played.

Kevin used to say, 'you're one of the better dressers in the dressing room, Les'. I remember one day we were playing a game in the evening, and had been in to training in the morning at Maiden Castle. He called me in and said, 'I think I've got it sussed - you're going to be impressed with what I'm wearing tonight'. I used to joke with him, because he'd wear these Spanish-type bolero jackets and suit trousers and stuff.

We came in that night and he had a navy blue suit on, with a pale blue shirt and a tie. I looked at him and was nodding my head at him. He nodded at me, as if to say, 'see what I mean? I've got it sussed today!'

And then Lee Clark went, 'foul! Seven points away!' So everyone looked down at Kevin's shoes, and he had these patent shoes on that absolutely spoiled the whole outfit. Everyone fell about laughing! I remember the next day I went, 'mate, I thought you had it all sussed, you were looking a million dollars... and then I looked down at your shoes!' He went, 'yeah, I went home and threw them on the fire!'

I'm feeling very sad today and I'm sure anyone who was ever in his presence will feel sad today. But that's not how he'd want people to feel. He'd want people to celebrate his life rather than mourn it, because that's the type of guy he was.

Shay Given

Given chalked up almost 500 appearances during his 12 years of stellar service at St. James' Park, and played under Keegan during his second spell in charge of the club in 2008

It's difficult to put into words. I live not a million miles from Kevin so I would be in touch with him, and we went out for dinner in recent months. I was very close with him away from football, as much as anything. I'm just shocked it's now come to this. We all know that in Kevin's career he was a huge fighter, a battler, and he gave it his all against this terrible disease as well. I'm heartbroken.

It's an incredibly sad day for football and for anybody who knew him, but also anybody who didn't know him - Newcastle was his spiritual home, it felt like, with the connection he had with the fans and the city. It's a tough day for anyone connected to the club. You see the love for him from all around the world too. He was a Ballon d'Or winner, twice. He did everything at the very top of the game. What can you say? He was an amazing player, an amazing manager and an amazing human being.

When the news broke that he was coming back (in 2008), there was huge excitement in the dressing room and with the fans as well. Seeing him turn up, the whole city was alive again. I remember our first meetings with him and Terry McDermott and he just lit up the room as soon as he walked into it. He was so enthusiastic, energetic. He was so bubbly, a phenomenal character. His zest for life was like no other. When he walked into a room, he filled it with energy and laughter. For me, it was the perfect fit for Newcastle. It was just a shame (his second spell as manager) was so short.

I've told this story a couple of times, but I remember one time he spoke to me about my jersey. There was this one goalkeeper jersey, going back years now - it was horrendous, to be honest. I pulled it on before we went out for kick-off.

He walks up to me and goes, 'I'm not sure about that top Shay, to be honest'. I say, 'I know, I don't pick it, I just have to wear it' - just trying to break the ice before a big game.

And then he says, 'but I'm sure about the person wearing it'. I just thought, 'woah'. That was special. He made you feel ten feet tall and want to take on the world.