KEVIN Keegan was one of foot-ball's earliest superstars. Plucked from obscurity at Scunthorpe by Bill Shankly, Keegan went on to become one of Liverpool's greatest strikers.
It took just 12 minutes for Keegan to score the first of his 100 goals in red. Forming a telepathic partnership with John Toshack, Keegan went on to win three league titles, a European Cup, two Uefa Cups and an FA Cup medal.
When he left Liverpool to sign for Hamburg after starring in Liverpool's first European Cup triumph in 1977, it left many Kopites feeling a sense of bewilderment.
MAGGIE'S amazing 15-year career as an international back-stroke swimmer was brought to its glorious conclusion against all the odds. After a six-year break from the sport, she qualified for her third Olympics at the age of 31.
As a breaststroke swimmer, she reached two finals at the Montreal Olympics and won silver and bronze medals in the Commonwealth games in Edmonton. Her sparkling career culminated in a silver medal at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.
Howard Kendall
EVEN before Kendall became Everton's most successful manager, he had been a terrific footballer.
Snapped up for £80,000 from under Bill Shankly's nose, Kendall quickly became a member of the midfield trio which made Everton one of the most enterprising teams of their time.
A Championship winner with the club in 1970, Kendall returned as manager in 1981. Although he had three spells in charge, his first was the stuff of legends. After two league titles, an FA Cup and a European Cup Winners Cup triumphs, he left for Athletic Bilbao before returning for two ultimately less successful spells.
Alan Kennedy
FULL-backs shouldn't be scoring winning goals in European Cup Finals, but Alan Kennedy has done it twice! Born in Sunder-land, Kennedy joined Liverpool in 1978. Three years later he netted the winner against Real Madrid in Paris.
When he stepped up against Rome in front of their partisan home crowd another three years on, nerves were jangling owing to the fact that Kennedy had missed every spot-kick in training the day before.
However, he coolly netted in front of 70,000 to seal another magical night for Kopites.
What do you think?
Who would you include in your list of Merseyside's most influential sportsmen and women? Have we missed out some of the unsung heroes and heroines who have done so much to shape our sporting heritage?
Let us know BY E-MAIL: sport@dailypost.co.uk BY FAX: 0151 330 5091 BY POST: Daily Post sports desk, PO Box 48, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L69 3EB
