Norway coach Solbakken reveals his secret love for England

Norway coach Stahl Solbakken admits he used to be an Anglophile with a crush on Kevin Keegan.

Like many Scandinavians, Solbakken grew up watching English football, his favorite player being Keegan, who played in the top division for Liverpool and Southampton, both sides after his time in Germany with Hamburger. He later played for and managed Newcastle as well as the Three Lions.

Solbakken, 58, revealed one particular memory of how Keegan broke his heart during the 1982 World Cup.

« My worst World Cup moment involved Kevin Keegan, » he said in remarks reported by Dagbladet. « He was finally going to play his first World Cup because England didn’t qualify in 1974 or 1978. Then he got a back injury and was in a car all over Europe getting his back fixed. »

Keegan secretly hired a car and drove from Spain to a specialist he knew in Germany for treatment.

Solbakken continued: « He and Trevor Brooking come off with 20 minutes left against Spain and he misses a (point-blank) header. I collapsed. It was 0-0. Then England, Germany and Spain were in a group of three. England should have won by two and my dear Kevin missed it… »

Say hi to Kevin, I hope he sees the game – Norway coach Solbakken

Keegan, a two-time European Footballer of the Year, recently revealed that he has stage four cancer.

Solbakken said: « You have to say hello to Kevin, he’s ill. So I hope he can see the game. I was a real Anglophile at the time. »

Solbakken will put his love to England to one side at the weekend as he leads Norway into a World Cup quarter-final clash with Thomas Tuchel’s men.

Norway booked their place in the last four thanks to a 2-1 win over five-time champions Brazil, with Erling Haaland scoring two late goals.

England were also made to work hard, running out 3-2 winners against Mexico after an emotional night at the Azteca.