FORMER chairman Freddie Shepherd has claimed he tried to replace Kevin Keegan with Sir Alex Ferguson after the Gallowgate legend quit as manager for the first time, in 1997.

“We went for Sir Alex Ferguson, at the time he was negotiating a new contract at Man United and we spoke to Fergie’s advisers but it didn’t come off,” he said.

“His advisers encouraged us to wait a bit longer and further down the line it just died a death.

“It would have been a great signing after Keegan, he’s always said that the only other club he’d come to is Newcastle.”