I WAS as relieved as any Manchester City fan when they ended their run of 14 games without a win against Leicester on Wednesday.

Not because I have any allegiance to the blue half of Manc Land, I hasten to add. It was relief for Kevin Keegan - one of my boyhood heroes, and a true character in the game.

Growing up in the shadow of Anfield in the 70s, I met Keegan regularly. He always made time to sign autographs and have a chat to snotty-nosed kids like myself.

He remains the most genuine and honest man in the game.

But he also remains the funniest!

Just this week, Keegan came out with a couple of cracking quotes.

He described Wednesday night's win over Leicester feeling "like a colony of monkeys being lifted off my back".

And on David Seaman's shoulder injury, which forced him to retire: "You can't have a one-armed goalkeeper - not at this level."

Yes, Keegan is no stranger to the corking quote. Here are just a few of my favourite gems:

"One of his strengths is not heading."

"He can't speak Turkey, but you can tell he's delighted."

"The 33 or 34-year-olds will be 36 or 37 by the time the next World Cup comes around, if they're not careful."

"There'll be no siestas in Madrid tonight."

"England can end the millennium as it started - as the greatest football nation in the world."

"They compare Steve McManaman to Steve Heighway and he's nothing like him, but I can see why - it's because he's a bit different."

"In some ways, cramp is worse than having a broken leg."

"Despite his white boots, he has real pace..."

"That would have been a goal if it wasn't saved."

"Goalkeepers aren't born today until they're in their late 20s or 30s."

"The substitute is about to come on - he's a player who was left out of the starting line-up today."

"The ref was vertically 15 yards away."

"England have the best fans in the world and Scotland's fans are second to none."

"The tide is very much in our court now."

"Gary always weighed up his options, especially when he had no choice."

"It's like a toaster, the ref's shirt pocket. Every time there's a tackle, up pops a yellow card."

"There are two schools of thought on the way the rest of this half is going to develop; everybody's got their own opinion..."

"I'd love to be a mole on the wall in the Liverpool dressing room at half-time."

"The game has gone rather scrappy as both sides realise they could win this match or lose it."

"I don't think there's anyone bigger or smaller than Maradona."

"I know what is around the corner. I just don't know where the corner is."

"You can't do better than go away from home and get a draw."

"...using his strength. And that is his strength, his strength."

"I'm not disappointed - just disappointed."

"Argentina are the second-best team in the world, and there's no higher praise than that."