NEWCASTLE - Kevin Keegan has walked back into St James' Park determined to take care of unfinished business.
The 56-year-old sparked mass celebrations on Tyneside last night when he accepted owner Mike Ashley's invitation to have another go at reviving the fortunes of the club he took to the brink of the Premiership title almost 12 years ago.
Having met the players he inherited from Sam Allardyce in the dressing room after the 4-1 FA Cup third-round replay victory over Stoke, Keegan headed for the training ground - one that did not exist during his last spell on Tyneside - this morning to begin work in earnest.
As well as preparing for tomorrow's official unveiling and, more importantly, Saturday evening's Barclays Premier League clash with Bolton, the adopted Geordie faces the task of appointing his backroom team and re-shaping a squad low on numbers and, in some departments, quality, with just two weeks of the transfer window left to run.
However, his relish at the task ahead of him was clear as he slipped back into the hot-seat.
Keegan said: "I wouldn't say it was a big decision. I love this football club and I don't think anyone would ever doubt that.
"You know life has moved on and I was doing other things, but I had to make a decision and in the end, it was a very easy one.
"I have met the owner, Mike Ashley, and I like him very much. I also met the chairman, Chris Mort, and just talking to them, I felt they both knew what they are doing.
"I spent an hour with Mike and that convinced me it is right to come back to help him in what he is doing with Newcastle United and what he wants from the football club."
Keegan added: "There is some unfinished business here. Everybody has got their opinions on the game of football and what people should do and shouldn't do,
"But I think this is right - and I certainly think they are strong group of players, which is something which I didn't know when I came last time.
"When I came last time, we were wondering whether we could fill the stadium.
"That's not the problem here, as you well know - it will be trying to get a stadium big enough if we could put the football on and get any success here."
If Keegan's arrival sent Tyneside into raptures, the prospect of home-grown legend Alan Shearer joining him has caused almost as much excitement.
The Keegan-Shearer 'dream ticket' was at the top of the fans' wish-list in the immediate aftermath of Allardyce's departure last Wednesday evening, although it was swiftly dismissed as fanciful.
Whether or not Keegan wants the 37-year-old within his set-up, whether or not Shearer wants to be involved - he has indicated he will happily speak to the new manager about his plans - and whether or not the two men could work together remains to be seen.
However, Shearer's relationship with record signing Michael Owen might prove useful given the younger man's views on Keegan during their time together with England
Allardyce left behind a huge staff, headed by caretaker boss Nigel Pearson, but also including Steve Round, Terry McDermott and a host of specialists.
McDermott is a close friend of Keegan and worked under him during his first reign on Tyneside, while Peter Beardsley is still employed by the club and Chris Coleman's departure from Real Sociedad has sparked speculation that his former Fulham boss could come calling.
The new manager will work closely with Ashley and Mort as he establishes his teams on and off the field - the Magpies had a bid for Manchester United defender Wes Brown rejected before Allardyce's demise and fellow target Lassana Diarra today joined Portsmouth.
But no-one needs to tell him either about the hunger for success on Tyneside or the passion of the people who crave it.
He said: "The job in hand, it's a big job. It's a great club this one and people outside the region don't understand that.
"My Dad was a Geordie - I understand them, I know what they want, I know what they don't want as well, and you know as long as they are realistic and a little bit patient, I think we can try again, have dreams again and possibly win something."
When Keegan did walk into the dressing room last night, he met only one player who was on the club's books the day he left in 1997.
Goalkeeper Steve Harper joined Newcastle from Seaham Red Star in July 1993, and the reunion rekindled so many memories.
Harper, now 32, said: "I'm just amazed. I was in shock until I saw him walk into the ground on the monitors on the bench.
"Obviously, his name had been bandied about, but I never believed it, and it's just amazing to see him return.
"With the run we have had and the second half on Saturday, the players couldn't have been any lower. But from 4.15pm (yesterday), it couldn't have got any higher.
"It's just incredible. I remember the last time he was here, and he's back. Fasten your seatbelts - here we go.
"He's the sort of person that walks in and just lifts the room - a player grows 10 or 20%.
"If he has that sort of effect again - which I'm sure he will - the world's our oyster."
