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Keith Gillespie has revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson tricked Kevin Keegan when selling him to Newcastle.

The former Northern Ireland winger joined the Magpies in 1995 as part of the £7m deal which saw Andy Cole move the other way.

But not before Ferguson had intervened a little to ensure his man earned himself a bumper pay day.

"After an FA Cup game, we thrashed out terms at midnight in a hotel in Sheffield. Back then I was a £250-a-week player," he told the Sunday Telegraph.

"I remember Alex sitting there with a pen and paper, adding up figures and scribbling away. He told a bit of a white lie to Kevin Keegan: 'Keith’s on £600 a week at the moment so he’ll be looking for an increase on that.'

"He didn’t tell me this would happen so I sat there with a poker face, giving nothing away. Newcastle were happy to double my wage and an hour later I shook hands on a deal worth £1,200 a week."

Gillespie's book "How Not To Be A Football Millionaire" details his gambling addiction that cost him a staggering £7,215,875.