KEVIN KEEGAN said yesterday’s decision to award him £2m for constructive dismissal from Newcastle United vindicated “one of the most difficult decisions” of his life.

Keegan walked out of a £3m-a-year contract at St James’ Park in September last year in protest at the signing of Uruguayan midfielder Ignacio Gonzalez after he told executive director Dennis Wise that he did not want the player.

In a statement, he said: “I resigned because I was being asked to sanction the signing of a player in order to ‘do a favour’ for two South American agents.

“No one at the club had ever seen this player play and I was asked to sign him on the basis of some clips on YouTube.

“This is something that I was not prepared to be associated with.”

Newcastle made no comment after yesterday’s decision by the independent arbitration panel, convened under Premier League rules, to uphold Keegan’s claim.

It fell way short of the £25m the 58-year-old had claimed in total.

He said: “The tribunal has found the conduct of the club in forcing a player on me against my wishes represented a fundamental breach of my contract of employment.

“The decision to resign was one of the most difficult decisions that I have ever had to take.”

Shortly before, he had reluctantly sanctioned James Milner’s move to Aston Villa and was frustrated at how Newcastle’s recruitment drive was being conducted.

Keegan, who gave evidence to the panel along with club owner Mike Ashley, former chairman Chris Mort, current managing director Derek Llambias and Wise, successfully argued the terms of his contract had been breached by the Gonzalez deal.

Newcastle insisted that Keegan was fully aware that Wise and his team would handle transfers, although the panel rejected their arguments.

It heard that several senior figures at the club – including Wise – issued public statements saying that Keegan had the final say on signings.

The club later said the statements were “simply untrue”

and were nothing more than public relations to avoid undermining Keegan’s position.

Keegan’s exit provoked an angry response from the club’s fans, who swiftly demanded that Mike Ashley’s “Cockney mafia” went instead, although the sportswear magnate remains at the helm despite having twice put the business up for sale.