‘I would LOVE IT if he shut up’: Ex-Lioness turned pundit Lianne Sanderson slams Kevin Keegan for saying he has ‘a problem’ with female former pros talking about the men’s game

• Sanderson has vented her fury on X about Liverpool legend’s comments 
• Keegan does not like listening to female pundits commentating men’s game

Former England star Lianne Sanderson says Kevin Keegan is ‘irrelevant’ and would ‘love it’ if he would shut up after he extraordinarily claimed he has ‘a problem’ with female pundits talking about England’s men’s team.

The Ex-Lioness has waded into the row about the former England manager’s astonishing comments that he did not like listening to ‘an England lady footballer’ providing analysis of Gareth Southgate’s men.

Sanderson, who won 50 caps for her country, turned to punditry following her retirement in 2019 and has appeared on TalkSport and Sky Sports.

It emerged yesterday Keegan had told an audience in Bristol of approximately 250 people who attended An Evening with Kevin Keegan, OBE: ‘I’m not as keen, I’ve got to be honest, and it may not be a view shared.

‘I don’t like to listen to ladies talking about the England men’s team at the match because I don’t think it’s the same experience.

Former Lioness star Leanne Sanderson has hit out at Kevin Keegan and said she’d ‘love it if he shut up’ after he said he doesn’t like ‘lady footballers’ talking about England’s men’s team

The Liverpool legend has extraordinarily claimed he has ‘a problem’ with female pundits giving analyses of Gareth Southgate’s side 

Sanderson’s comments are a nod to Keegan’s infamous 1996 rant to Sky Sports as the then Newcastle manager succumbed to the pressure during the title race with Manchester United 

‘I have a problem with that.’

Sanderson has been left incensed by the Liverpool legend and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, today to vent her fury.

READ MORE: Kevin Keegan’s infamous ‘I will love it’ rant… relive in full the moment the title race between Newcastle and Manchester United reached boiling point

‘I won’t be doing any interviews about Kevin Keegan’s comments. I won’t be bringing light to misogyny. He’s irrelevant,’ she said.

‘But I would absolutely “Love it“ if he would Shut up! Those comments are not needed. It’s a shame people feel threatened by some of us. Unlucky for those people!’

Sanderson’s comments are a nod to Keegan’s famous ‘I love it’ rant in 1996 – when the then-Newcastle manager succumbed to the pressure in the late-season title race battle with Manchester United.

Keegan’s infamous rant during an interview with Sky Sports has gone down in Premier League folklore when he launched into a diatribe about Sir Alex Ferguson’s comments that teams don’t try as hard against Newcastle.

Sanderson last year hit out at the FA after she was excluded from a celebration of England’s female players during a friendly against the USA, with more salt added to her wounds when her name was spelt wrong in the matchday programme.

She called it a ‘horrible day for me’ and ‘very triggering’ and felt her omission was a continuation of the FA’s ‘systematic abuse’ that she experienced as a player.

Keegan said he did not think women’s pundits were in a position to commentate on their male colleagues, particularly at international level. Alex Scott is arguably the most famous 

However, Keegan insisted some women pundits were better than their male counterparts

Women in Football were among the critics

It comes after Keegan was branded a relic of the 1970s today after he admitted: ‘I don’t like to listen to ladies talking about the England men’s team’.

The former footballer and manager, 72, said he has a ‘problem’ with female pundits discussing men’s football at a live event in the West Country.

READ MORE: The day Kevin Keegan QUIT in the loos: 20 years ago an emotional England boss ignored the pleas of Tony Adams and David Beckham and resigned in a toilet cubicle after being booed off for losing against Germany in final game at the Old Wembley 

The ex-England and Newcastle United manager, who also enjoyed a glittering career as a player, has sparked criticism – although he admitted himself ‘it may not be a view shared’ by others and said some women pundits were better than the men.

Speaking to an audience of approximately 250 people in Bristol who attended An Evening With Kevin Keegan OBE, he said he did not like listening to ‘an England lady footballer’ providing analysis of Gareth Southgate‘s team.

‘I’m not as keen, I’ve got to be honest, and it may not be a view shared,’ he said. ‘I don’t like to listen to ladies talking about the England men’s team at the match because I don’t think it’s the same experience.  I have a problem with that.’ 

‘If I see an England lady footballer saying about England against Scotland at Wembley and she’s saying, ‘If I would have been in that position I would have done this’, I don’t think it’s quite the same,’ he said. 

Fans and pressure groups have slammed him, even though he did not criticise any individuals such as Alex Scott, Eni Aluko and Karen Carney, who regularly present, commentate and analyse the men’s game.

Women in Football, who campaign for change in attitudes to women working in football, said: ‘There is more than one reason why Kevin Keegan is seen as an icon of the 1970s’. One football  fan said: ‘Kevin Keegan is a football dinosaur, things have changed immeasurably since his opinions were relevant’.

Keegan singled out BBC Sport presenter Gabby Logan for praise in his speech

He insisted his view was not intent to belittle women’s football and women’s pundits – but some have argued otherwise.

‘The presenters we have now, some of the girls are so good, they are better than the guys. It’s a great time for the ladies,’ he said, according to The Daily Telegraph.

READ MORE: Kevin Keegan’s rant is still loved 25 years on… Newcastle were ‘The Entertainers’ in 1996 but nothing was more box office than when their manager went for Sir Alex Ferguson live on Sky Sports 

‘It is a great time for the ladies’ game. When I was England manager [from February 1999 to October 2000], I went to coach the England ladies and I had this perception of what the quality would be like and they were so much better than I thought they were going to be.

‘I joined in and then I thought, ‘I’m getting out of this’. I couldn’t get the bloody ball and one of them nutmegged me, that finished me off.’

He also singled out BBC Sport presenter Gabby Logan for praise.

‘There are some very, very good lady presenters and I’m working with one in two days’ time, Terry Yorath’s daughter, Gabby [Logan],’ he said.

However, he claimed women pundits were not in a position to commentate on men’s football.

‘I don’t think it crosses over that much.’

The former Manchester City and Newcastle manager also accused modern pundits of ‘talking too much’ and suggested analysts of his generation were no longer wanted by broadcasters.

Keegan is also remembered for his furious rant about Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 1996, when his Newcastle side were in the running for the Premier League title 

Keegan resigned from his role as England manager in 2000 after the national team lost 1-0 to Germany in what was the last game at the old Wembley stadium. Right: Keegan walking off the pitch with defender Martin Keown 

Boos rang around the Old Wembley and even a fireworks display by the FA could not mask it

 ‘I worked with Brian Moore, who was the best. At a World Cup final he would say, ‘Kevin, don’t talk too much, let the pictures do the talking’,’ he said.. 

‘A lot of the pundits now talk too much. Don’t keep talking, talking, talking. They don’t want people like us any more, our day is gone, it’s time for the next generation.’

Keegan resigned from his role as England manager in 2000 after the national team lost 1-0 to Germany in what was the last game at the old Wembley stadium.

Having been subject to boos from the crowd, Keegan walked into the dressing room and quit, saying: ‘They don’t want me.’ 

Under his management, England failed to reach the finals of Euro 2000. 

He had the worst win percentage – 38.9 per cent – of any permanent England manager. 

Keegan is also remembered for his furious rant about Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 1996, when his Newcastle side were in the running for the Premier League title. 

After Sir Alex had publicly cast doubt over the quality of Leeds and Nottingham forest – Newcastle’s next opponents – Keegan exploded with anger in an interview.

Jabbing his finger at the camera, he said: ‘I’ve kept really quiet, but I’ll tell you something, he went down in my estimation when he said that.’ 

‘You can tell him now, if you’re watching it, we’re still fighting for this title, and he’s got to go to Middlesbrough and get something. And I’ll tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them, love it!’

United went on to win the title after Newcastle drew with Tottenham on the final day of the season and they won 3-0 at Middlesbrough.  

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