Kevin Keegan's family have been "truly overwhelmed" by the outpouring of affection for the former England captain and manager following his death at the age of 75.
Tributes have flooded in since it was announced on July 20 that the ex-Scunthorpe, Liverpool, Hamburg SV, Southampton and Newcastle United striker had died after a short battle with stomach cancer.
A private funeral is due to take place in the next few weeks, while Newcastle will later host a memorial service for a man who was revered both as a player and as a manager on Tyneside.
A statement from the Keegan family, shared by the League Managers Association, said: "Following the devastating news of Kevin's passing, we would like to thank the vast number of people who have expressed condolences and shared their memories of Kevin in recent days.
"As a family we have been truly overwhelmed by the volume of tributes and are grateful for them all.
Kevin Keegan: From Scunthorpe trialist to England manager, via Liverpool and Newcastle stardom
"We will be holding a small private funeral in the coming weeks and request ongoing privacy and respect whilst we navigate this extremely difficult period as a family.
"Details of a memorial service hosted by Newcastle United that will take place at a later date will be communicated in due course."
The family have also requested, in lieu of flowers, donations to two charities close to the two-time Ballon d'Or winner's heart.
They have set up a Go Fund Me Page asking for donations to the Christie Charity, which funds enhanced services, pioneering research, education and additional support services for cancer patients and their families, and Football Families for Justice, a charity set up by World Cup winner Nobby Stiles' son John to support former players suffering from neurodegenerative diseases caused by heading the ball.
Donations can be made via: https://www.gofundme.com/f/raising-money-for-charity-in-memory-of-kevin-keegan
