MIAMI, July 10 (Reuters) - Stale Solbakken took a moment to pass on his best wishes to Kevin Keegan on Friday ahead of Norway's World Cup quarter-final against England -- an indication, the coach said, of his country's deep connection with the English game.
Former England captain and manager Keegan, who said last month that he was battling stage four cancer, was behind what Solbakken revealed was his most disappointing moment in World Cup history.
Carrying a painful back injury, forward Keegan came on as a substitute for his first action of the 1982 tournament against hosts Spain, but was not able to score the goal England needed to progress.
"My biggest regret in World Cup history is that Kevin Keegan didn't score when he came on against Spain in 1982," Solbakken told reporters at Miami Stadium.
"He was my big hero, so I hope Kevin is good. I heard that he's a little bit sick. I hope he's good because he was my big hero."
NORWAYLOVES ENGLISH FOOTBALL
Norway's passion for English football started in 1969 when state broadcaster NRK, then a one-channel monopoly, started broadcasting weekly English league games during the long Norwegian off-season.
The results can still be seen every weekend in England with Norwegians travelling in numbers to watch not just Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal, but also clubs like Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town who were big in the 1970s.
"I think Brazil and England are maybe the two biggest nations we could meet in this World Cup in terms of the history," Solbakken said.
"Everyone in Norway who has followed English football has a team or a favourite player, and that makes it maybe a little bit special tomorrow because ... it was one game on the telly and everyone had a team they followed very closely.
"So my team was obviously Liverpool, but Kevin was my man. So I say hello to Kevin. Fight on."
Norway's admiration for Brazilian football did not stop them knocking out the record five-times champions in the round of 16 and England can expect no favours from Solbakken's team on Saturday.
Norwegian commentators will also have to be on their game if England are beaten as they seek to match one of football's most famous sound bites.
After Norway upset England 2-1 in a 1981 World Cup qualifier, Bjorge Lillelien reeled off a rant of a celebration aimed at important figures in English history, including Lord Nelson and Winston Churchill.
"Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me?" Lillelien concluded, taking aim at the then British prime minister. "Your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!"
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, additional reporting by Phillip O'Connor, editing by Ed Osmond)
