Whatever gloom is engulfing Kevin Keegan at present, there has always been something infectiously enthusiastic about the Newcastle United manager. Anyone who doubts this should have been in Glasgow on a wet and miserable morning yesterday.

Fresh from yet another Newcastle setback - the 3-0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday - in sauntered a cheerful Keegan to do a stint at his Soccer Circus, the unique and, some say, troubled concept that he says he has devoted 20 years of his life to developing. Keegan duly spent four hours - presumably on an official day off at St James' Park - talking up his venture, speaking to local children and pressing the flesh with various Scottish politicians who stopped by.

The Soccer Circus in Glasgow became, in October 2006, Keegan's energetic obsession in what had appeared to be his life after management in the wake of his departure from Manchester City. A high-tech venue for children's and adults' coaching that brands itself as “the world's first fully interactive football attraction”, Keegan spent almost every day there in the 15 months from the venture's opening before Newcastle abruptly lured him back to the Barclays Premier League eight weeks ago.

The question some have asked is, what will happen to Keegan, sooner or later, after his second tour of duty at St James' Park? It seems, on the basis of yesterday, that he already has an insurance policy in place.

In typical Keegan fashion, the former England manager maintains a remarkable enthusiasm for his Soccer Circus. Keegan, who claims to have originated and developed the concept himself, boasts that it is “unique in the world” and is planning, along with his co-investor, Peter Barr, further franchises in Dubai and possibly China. “I've put the last 20 years of my life into this and there is certainly going to be a lot more of them - this is our window to the world,” Keegan said, while the West of Scotland rain tumbled outside.

Ed Monaghan, the managing director of Soccer Circus, did confirm that the company made a £1million loss to April 2007. Keegan has invested almost £2.4million of his own money in the venture, which probably explained his unwavering smile and eager fraternising yesterday with anyone who expressed so much as a passing interest. “This has been 20 years of my life and when I retire, when I'm 65, this will still be going on,” Keegan, 57, said. “This is the only one in the world at the moment, but there are certainly going to be a lot more of them. One will open in Center Parcs on May 1 and we're also in serious talks about putting one in Dubai and one in China if it comes.

“[My] investment was substantial. If you look here you'll see that you can't build something like this without that. It has taken us 20 years to get this but this is only the tip of the iceberg. We plan to develop further. People have come here from Canada, from America, from China. We've had groups from the Arab countries. It is our window to the world.”

Given such enthusiasm for his venture, it was openly wondered if Keegan might have only one eye on St James' Park, where Newcastle - without a win in eight matches since the return of “the Messiah” - are sliding into a relegation battle. It is a suggestion he vehemently denies.

“My total commitment now is Newcastle but this [Soccer Circus] is still something that I've been working on for many years, so I keep in touch,” Keegan said. “But the minute I took the Newcastle job, that became my commitment. This place doesn't need Kevin Keegan. Nor will the one in Dubai or China. But I'll always come back here and do a couple of days to help this place, when it fits in with my schedule.”

Keegan admitted that the financial figures for his first trading year had not been perfect. “We are a new concept,” he said. “If you wanted to look upon this as a place that will make a profit in its first year and a half, well, obviously it won't do that. There is £4million worth of stuff in outlay behind the scenes here, so you won't get that back in a year. You'll only get that back over ten years.”