The Armthorpe-born star died after a battle with cancer

Calls have been made for Doncaster-born football icon Kevin Keegan to be honoured with a statue in his home city following his death.

The 75-year-old former England, Liverpool and Newcastle United star died yesterday after announced he had stage four stomach cancer last month.

Now there are calls for King Kev to be honoured in the region he grew up - with a statue in his honour.

One fan wrote: “I think they should have a statue in Doncaster city centre off the late, great Kevin Keegan - the greatest footballer from Doncaster.”

“I was born in Doncaster but now live in Manchester.

“Kevin was a great person - very friendly and polite, he used to always speak to you if you met him while you were out about.”

Another said: “We need a statue to honour Doncaster’s greatest and most famous son. He put Doncaster on the map across the world.”

And another fan said: “He never forgot where he was born and brought up and the least Doncaster can do is to honour his memory. A statue would be the perfect tribute.”

Born at 32 Elm Place, Armthorpe on St Valentine’s Day, 1951, Keegan became one of football’s biggest and best known names.

Born to English parents of part Irish ancestry, he attended his local school, St. Peter’s High School in nearby Cantley.

At the age of 16, Keegan was spotted playing at amateur level for Pegler, his employer at the time, and signed by fourth division Scunthorpe United – one of just two professional sides in the division.

Reputedly rejected by his home town club of DoncasterRovers for being too small, Keegan became a first team regular and scored 18 goals in 124 games, attracting the attention of the Merseyside giants Liverpool with legendary boss Bill Shankly snapping him up for £35,000 in 1971.

The move proved to be the beginning of the soccer star’s rise to fame - and becoming a global icon of the game.