Keegan is my inspiration says Hislop

Former Newcastle goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has called Kevin Keegan an "inspiration".

The 56-year-old offered his support to Keegan following the news of his cancer diagnosis this week.

Ex-England boss Keegan brought Hislop to the Magpies from Reading in 1995 and he played 73 times before joining West Ham in 1998.

Hislop revealed he was having his own treatment for prostate cancer last month.

"Kevin Keegan changed my life in so many ways, as a footballer, as someone who works towards bettering society," he told BBC Sport.

"He's been an inspiration and an example throughout so I can't speak highly enough of Kevin Keegan.

"I can't thank him enough for all the things he's done for me. Kevin has taken on life's biggest problems and mastered them with an incredible energy and personality about it that has brought others along with him.

"I understand this one is a very personal battle of his but I think he goes through this with the same energy, the same way about him that has made all of us fall in love with who he is as a person, more so than just a footballer or manager."

Hislop is co-founder and president of Show Racism the Red Card which he helped set up 30 years ago when he was at Newcastle, revealing Keegan's backing.

He added: "When I first approached Kevin about us going into schools and talking about diversity and racism and everything that comes with multiculturalism, he was fully supportive.

"He was the first to put his weight behind it. It's [Show Racism the Red Card] for managers in the game to understand what this game represents, what their club represents."