KEVIN Keegan had his say on the best player in the world, his biggest footballing rivalries and the upturn in fortunes for Manchester City at an event in Weymouth.

Former England manager and player Keegan, 72, was star attraction at the function for Dorset grassroots side Balti Sports.

Keegan, a former Liverpool and Hamburg forward who went on to manage Manchester City and Newcastle in the club arena, proved a sell-out hit at the Hotel Rembrandt.

Keegan was Newcastle boss from 1992 to 1997 and rejoined the club in 2008, having managed City between 2001 and 2005, leaving three years before the current European champions were taken over in 2008.

However, Keegan’s second spell at Newcastle in 2008 was short-lived after a legal dispute with then owner Mike Ashley.

Keegan was awarded £2 million for constructive dismissal after the two parties disagreed on the internal structure and decisions taken on the sporting side of the club.

Speaking exclusively to Echosport in a quickfire question and answer session, Keegan began by addressing whether he took any credit for Man City and Newcastle’s renaissance in recent years.

He said: “Well, we turned it round at Man City for sure. They were a Second Division club and we got them promoted.

“When I joined, they’d been in five different divisions in five years, either promoted or relegated.

“My job was to try and get us back up, which we did before it went into a new stadium. We started a bit of an upward curve and played some good football.

“And Newcastle is a club that when we left it was in pretty good shape. Fourteen years of Mike Ashley set that back a bit but it’s flying again now.”

Keegan’s career has also featured several different huge rivalries, and the Doncaster-born star named multiple derbies among the most intense he had experienced.

He said: “Liverpool-Everton, obviously, and England-Scotland was huge. If you were playing for Southampton it was Portsmouth, and of course Newcastle-Sunderland.

“Any time you play a club within ten miles of where you are, they’re always blood and thunder and great games to play in, especially if you win.

“All the derbies are good, even if you go down to National League level. When you play the local clubs you want to beat them. If it was any other way it would be wrong.”

Some pundits have named England and Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham as the best player in the world on current form.

However, Keegan instead named Argentina icon Lionel Messi as his pick despite the ex-Barcelona hero’s move to America, joining Inter Miami.

“Right now it’s Messi still,” Keegan insisted. “Even at his age (36). There’s talk of him going back to Argentina, isn’t there?

“He’s been a great player for a long time, that’s not easy. I don’t care who you are, getting to the top’s tough but staying there’s tougher.

“Maximum respect to him. I would say, without doubt, he’s the one.”

Keegan also ruled out a return to management but praised the likes of 76-year-old Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson for his longevity.

He added: “No, it’s not for me. I’m 73 soon.

“Although, we’ve got a manager at Crystal Palace who’s a bit older than me in Roy Hodgson.

“Maximum respect to him but I’ve no wish to do that now. I stopped thinking about managing when I left Newcastle a second time.”

Finally, Keegan named his favourite moment in football.

“It’s hard to pick,” he admitted.

“Definitely around England, my first game with Sir Alf Ramsey, and we were led out by Bobby Moore, Sir as he became.

“Then, when I was given the captaincy of England, to lead the team out.

"Club football’s great and that’s how you get to play for England but playing for your country is just something extra.”

The evening was sponsored by Dave Wilson of Weymouth Precision Engineering with live music from Tommy Hastie.