🎥 On This Day: Ferguson's mind games leave Keegan RATTLED 😡 | OneFootball

Exactly 24 years have passed since one of the funniest moments in Premier League history.

In January 1996, Newcastle were 12 points clear of second-placed Manchester United in the race for the title.

But a Magpies collapse in the second half of the season meant that by the end of April, with just two games to go, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were three points clear at the top.

And it was then that Kevin Keegan became the first high-profile victim of the wily Scot’s mind games.

In comments made to the media, Ferguson had suggested that Leeds and Nottingham Forest – two of Newcastle’s final three opponents of the season – wouldn’t be trying hard to beat them, especially as Forest were due to play Newcastle for Stuart Pearce’s testimonial.

On 29 April 1996, Newcastle beat Leeds 1-0 and afterwards, Keegan was asked about Ferguson’s comments in an interview with Sky Sports.

It’s fair to say the future England boss absolutely LOST HIS MIND!

“No, no… when you do that with footballers, like he said about Leeds, and when you do things like that about a man like Stuart Pearce, I’ve kept really quiet, but I’ll tell you something, he went down in my estimation when he said that,” Keegan ranted.

“We have not resorted to that, but I’ll tell you, 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… and… I’ll tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them, love it!”

Unfortunately for Keegan, Ferguson’s side did go to Middlesbrough and get something, while Newcastle drew both of their final two games of the season.

Manchester United won the league by four points, and Newcastle are still wondering how they managed to bottle it all these years later.