KEVIN KEEGAN was back in the driving seat yesterday - in Darwen! No, he hadn't taken over from Ian McGarry as manager of the Anchor lads, he was picking up a new luxury horse box from local firm Maudsley Horse Boxes, of Ellesmere Road.

Keegan is enjoying relaxing after quitting the hectic life as manager of Newcastle United. He and his family - wife Jean and their two daughters - enjoyed a long holiday in Florida and now they are all looking ahead to the show-jumping season.

Says Brian Maudsley, who runs the company with sons Andrew and Graham: "The girls are both keen show-jumpers and Kevin had been looking for a new luxury horse box. He called round a few weeks ago when he was on business in Manchester and chose one of our top-of-the-range models."

Keegan, his wife and a girl groom, drove from their home south of Newcastle in a horse box they were part-exhanging and he picked up the new burgundy-metallic box at Brian's home at Harwood Farm, Hoddlesden. The cost? Over £30,000.

After a chat and a cup of tea Kevin drove off to show the girls their new "toy."

Said Brian (pictured with the Keegans): "Kevin might have had a lot of pressure at Newcastle but he's very relaxed now. I don't think he'll ever get back into football. He's more interested in horses and told me he wasn't missing it one bit."

Maudsley Horse Boxes are one of the country's leading manufacturers and they export their hand-crafted boxes throughout the British Isles and Europe.

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