In exclusive extracts from his new book, former Newcastle United goalkeeper, Pavel Srnicek, talks to Peter Mann about Kevin Keegan’s arrival, that game with Liverpool, and the day he nearly joined Sunderland.

There are two specific memories which stand out for Pavel Srnicek and his time at St. James’ Park, the day Kevin Keegan and Terry McDermott arrived, and the match of the century at Anfield in April 1996.

Signed by Jim Smith from Banik Ostrava in January 1991 for £350,000, Srnicek would go on to become a cult hero for the Magpies.

He would go on to make nearly 200 appearances, despite being told by Keegan “Pav, why can’t you be more like Schmeichel, and win a game for us?”

It was 13 months and two managers after Srnicek had joined (Jim Smith and Ossie Ardiles had fallen by the wayside), then-chairman, Sir John Hall, brought back Kevin Keegan and Terry McDermott to save the club.

The duo did just that and in dramatic fashion but, for Pav, Keegan’s arrival was something of an unknown and, no matter how much his teammates informed him of the honour roll the new management brought, the Czech shot-stopper was dumbfounded.

The initial conversation between Pav and his interpreter was this: “Kevin who?”

“Kevin Keegan. You’ve never heard of him?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

The interpreter, and others, reeled off an impressive list of achievements for the England captain and two-time European Footballer of the Year, but it made no difference.

“To be honest, it wouldn’t have mattered whether he’d won a Nobel Prize, an Oscar or a Blue Peter badge, I still didn’t know who he was,” continued Pavel.

“Kevin Scott and Benny Kristensen were always helpful when new things were happening at the club. But, despite my naivety and ignorance, even they thought I was joking when I said I didn’t know Kevin and Terry McDermott.

“But it was true. Fair enough, they had won lots of trophies and Kevin was European Footballer of the Year but I decided I would give them the same respect I held for my teammates. That was until they both started bragging about all the trophies they had won, and we would go ‘not again.’”

Keegan did, as Keegan does, grow on people. That effect was soon rubbing off on players under his charge. They staved off relegation and won the First Division championship in quick succession, then took the Premier League by storm, twice going close to claiming the title.

“It didn’t take me long, to get know about Kevin and understand what he was about,” continued Srnicek.

“He changed my life and the lives of those at the club forever. In my career, I have never come across anyone quite like Kevin Keegan. The way he talked and the ability he had to motivate players. He had such an enigmatic personality and was an extremely inspirational character. Yet his team talks were very brief.

“After the game he would return to the changing room and say ‘thanks lads, I would swap any of you for anyone in the world’ or words to that effect. In the five years he was boss at Newcastle it was always the same.”

Fast forward five years and the Magpies rolled into Anfield in April 1996 with the wheels sliding off a full-on, title challenge under Keegan’s Entertainers.

For Srnicek though this was the one game he wants to forget, not just for the goals conceded in what is now universally known as the game of the century but for the attitude shown him by Keegan.

Striking a raw chord, Srnicek said: “For me it was the worst moment and memory of my entire career. I wouldn’t care, I used to love going to Anfield.

“Kevin was going around the dressing room prior to the kick off, having the odd word of encouragement with some of the players. Admittedly, we’d had a mixed bag of results before this fixture but we were still confident of winning.

“Then, just before we went out onto the pitch, Keegan turned to me and said ‘Pav, why can’t you be more like Schmeichel, and win a game for us?’

“I was astounded! Those words killed me. I was deflated. After he said that, I couldn’t play.

“I felt as if I’d just been smashed on the head. Anything I’d been feeling prior to that comment: adrenaline, excitement and anticipation, all of the emotions you generally experience before you run onto the pitch prior to a match, had evaporated. I had nothing. No strength; no confidence; no will; nothing.

“My head was all over the place. I couldn’t concentrate on the game. I resented Kevin at that point. This was one of the biggest games of the season and he’d more or less told me I was a second-rate goalkeeper.

“I had never been given any words of encouragement in all of my time at the club. I thought what have you ever done for me? Every time he knocked me on the floor, one way or another, I had to pick myself up, dust myself down and get on with it.

“Losing the match, conceding the goals and in essence throwing away the title, they weren’t the worst things for me. It was Keegan’s words prior to going out to play; they were a hammer blow. I have never watched a replay or any highlights of that game because it is too painful a memory. I can still hear Kevin saying those hurtful words now. It makes me sad.”

An ideal Christmas present for football and Newcastle United fans alike ‘Pavel is a Geordie’ takes you into the heart and soul of the former Magpie and Czech Republic shot-stopper.

With a lot of focus on the time he spent on Tyneside during the 90s, and his brief return in 2006, Srnicek talks about it all – Anfield, FA Cup heartache, goalkeeping conflict, Keegan and Dalglish and how he nearly gave the latter a beating only to be saved by then goalkeeping coach Terry Gennoe.

He also talks about how his heart was twice broken, first by Dalglish, and then upon his return a decade later costing him his marriage. Not only Newcastle though – fans of Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham and Portsmouth are covered from spells there, and there’s even an international feel from being back at home in Ostrava and the heartaches they brought him.

Pavel is a Geordie, by Pavel Srnicek with Will Scott, is on general sale from November 30 and is available for pre-order now via www.pavelsrnicek.com at £14.99.

Those ordering the book via the website can collect from the official launch at the Tyneside Irish Centre, Gallowgate, Newcastle on December 16 from 7pm.

Srnicek is on twitter @PavelSrnicekUK.