THEY are the pictures that have got Saints fans dreaming of another hero’s return for Kevin Keegan.

It was one of the most famous days in Saints’ long history when Lawrie McMenemy pulled off one of football’s biggest ever transfer shocks in 1980 by convincing the then European Footballer of the Year Keegan to join his team.

And it would be just as big a shock if these images do show Matt Le Tissier and Leon Crouch meeting Keegan to try and convince him to return to St Mary’s in some capacity.

Daily Echo: Kevin Keegan Kevin Keegan

The pictures, which were taken on Monday, only arrived at the Daily Echo just before going to press late last night but appear to show Le Tissier, Crouch and Keegan outside Le Tissier’s house.

Today, Leon Crouch refused to comment on the possibility of his involvement and whether or not Keegan had been approached.

As revealed by the Daily Echo, if the Pinnacle bid is completed successfully they are understood to be looking to replace head coach Mark Wotte with a British manager.

It may be they have Keegan in their sights, that he could have another role at the club or that the pictures are a friendly coincidence.

That theory especially gains momentum as a highly credible source told the Daily Echo yesterday that talks were beginning with another British manager in a bid to convince him to join the St Mary’s bandwagon.

Daily Echo: Matthew Le Tissier (left) and Leon Crouch Le Tissier and Crouch

But just the idea of Le Tissier on the board, maybe even as chairman, and Keegan as manager is a dream ticket for Saints fans to salivate over even if it doesn’t become a reality.

For that to have a chance of coming to fruition however the Pinnacle led group will have to complete their takeover of Saints.

Their three-week period of exclusivity comes to an end tomorrow by which time they hope to have completed the final paperwork and be in a position to pay the cash and land the club.

Le Tissier would be on the new-look board, probably alongside the mystery backer who has put the cash forward, and the rumour mill has been rife for days that former chairman Crouch will also rejoin the Saints powerbrokers, though he has denied any knowledge of this.

Keegan has been out of football management since leaving his second spell at Newcastle in September last year after a public fall-out with controversial owner Mike Ashley.

Before that he had managed Newcastle, who he once led to second in the Premier League, Fulham and Manchester City, gaining a promotion with all three, as well as England.

As a player Keegan, who is an OBE, started his career at Scunthorpe before moving to Liverpool where he won three league titles, a European Cup, two UEFA Cups, and an FA Cup.

Keegan moved to Hamburg in 1977 and helped them to a Bundesliga title before his remarkable switch to Saints.

While playing under McMenemy, Keegan scored 42 goals in 80 appearances. Keegan went on to make himself a Newcastle legend with 48 goals in 78 appearances and had a record for England of 21 goals in 63 games.

One of Keegan’s daughters was born in Southampton and for many years he maintained a home down here despite his work taking him away from the area.