Former Newcastle and England midfielder Rob Lee was lucky enough to have his career shaped by the man he idolised growing up. From star strikers to inspirational captains; dazzling wingers to formidable goalkeepers - every young football fan has their heroes while growing up.And even when the lucky few go on to become professional players and role models in their own right, it is not unknown for them to cast an admiring glance towards the figures they once worshipped.Former Newcastle and England midfielder Rob Lee was lucky enough to have his career directly influenced by his idol.Lee was born within sight of West Ham’s Upton Park, but such was the impact of his footballing hero that as a youngster he chose to follow the fortunes of Liverpool instead.And later, when he had become a box-to-box midfielder of some repute, it was the same icon who persuaded the Londoner to move to the north-east - prompting a classic urban legend.The man is, of course, Kevin Keegan. The legend? That he sealed Lee’s signature at Newcastle by convincing him that their St James’ Park ground was actually closer to his London home than fellow interested party Middlesbrough.Lee insists he had no real inclination to join the Magpies in 1992, but he was so taken by the chance to play under Keegan that not even a geographical oversight of some 30-odd miles could have swayed him once he had made up his mind.He said: “It’s not much of a secret that my hero was Kevin Keegan - he always was.“He was closely followed by another number seven, Kenny Dalglish, and I was very lucky to play under both of them in my career. I still call them friends and speak to them regularly.“I was a West Ham fan but I was swayed toward Liverpool because of Kevin Keegan. He was the first superstar and I loved the way he played the game. He was full of energy and had bags of charisma.”• Article reproduced by Players’ Club – the official magazine of the PFA. More to come from Rob later in the week.
