When Kevin Keegan joined Liverpool from Scunthorpe in May 1971, Bill Shankly’s first wage offer was £45 per week. In his 1977 autobiography, Keegan recalled: ‘I wanted to sign there and then but remembered that my father had told me not to sell myself cheap.’ Keegan told Shankly he expected more than £45. Shankly replied: ‘That’s upsetting. Don’t forget, young man, we’re paying £33,000 for you.’ Keegan’s basic wage at Scunthorpe, in the old Fourth Division, had been £30 a week, with £8 win bonus and £4 draw bonus. Keegan and Shankly eventually settled on a starting wage of £50 a week at Liverpool. Regular first-team football, appearance money and win bonuses added £80 a week to that basic figure, for £130 a week for one of England’s best players at one of its biggest clubs.
Reply With Quote