CLASSY Stale Solbakken sent his best wishes to his “big hero” Kevin Keegan as he battles illness.
England legend Keegan, 75, revealed last month he was diagnosed with stage four cancer.
Kevin Keegan has been diagnosed with stage four cancer Credit: Alamy
Stale Solbakken sent a heartfelt message to his hero Credit: Getty
And the Norway boss took the chance in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final to honour King Kev.
Asked about the connection between Norwegian and English football with many of the Scandinavian nation’s best players past and present featuring in the Premier League, Solbakken revealed his heartbreak 44 years ago when Keegan’s diving header wide saw the Three Lions knocked out.
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Solbakken, 58, said: “Brazil and England are maybe the two biggest nations we could have met in this World Cup in terms of the history.
“My biggest regret in World Cup history is that Kevin Keegan didn’t score when he came on against Spain in 1982.
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“I heard that Kevin is sick, I hope he’s good because he was my big hero.
“Everyone who has followed English football has a team or a favourite player and that maybe makes the match a little bit special.
“We had Match of the Day from the late 60s, early 70s when there was one game on the telly and everyone had a team they followed very closely.
“So my team was obviously Liverpool but Kevin was my man. So I say hello to Kevin, fight on.”
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The knockout stages of the World Cup are hotting up as we head towards the business end of the tournament.
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But the likes of France, Spain and Argentina are all serious contenders to go all the way.
Heavyweights Germany, Netherlands, Brazil and Portugal have all been knocked out.
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Keegan headed just wide against Spain at the 1982 World Cup Credit: Alamy
The 0-0 draw dumped the Three Lions out – to Solbakken’s heartbreak Credit: Alamy
Solbakken’s Norway face the biggest match in the country’s history – for the third match running after beating Ivory Coast and Brazil in the previous knockout rounds.
With a semi-final spot up for grabs tonight, he added: “The whole nation has lived a good life for the last three weeks.
“We feel they are all behind us. This match is a Saturday as well so it will not get any better.
“We are very proud that our fans have dominated the scenes in different cities, they behave very well and have been very enthusiastic.”
