Kean Fred Image 8 Bolton Wanderers 1929

Description

Sheffield born right half Fred Keen played junior football for Sheffield Hallam before the First World War, and after the War he joined Portsmouth in the 1919 close season but returned to Sheffield the following summer to sign for Second Division Sheffield Wednesday. He made his Football League debut at Barnsley in August 1920, and from 1921 was a regular fixture for the club, helping them to win the Second Division Championship in 1926. He also became Wednesday’s club captain. In September 1928 he was transferred to Bolton Wanderers for £5,500 after 8 goals in 247 appearances for The Owls, and won the FA Cup with The Trotters in 1929 when they defeated Portsmouth 2-0 at Wembley in the Final. He stayed 3 seasons at Bolton, scoring once in 89 appearances, before joining Luton Town in June 1931, where he scored 6 goals in 131 appearances before joining non league Sutton Town in 1935.

He won his first England cap in March 1923 in a 6-1 victory over Belgium at Highbury, winning the last of his 9 caps in May 1929 when England lost 4-3 to Spain in Madrid. He captained England on one occasion against Luxembourg in May 1927, and in addition to his 9 caps he was a non playing reserve on another 7 occasions. In addition he made 4 appearances for The Football League.