Released by Ipswich Town as a teenager, McKeown made his league debut for Ayr United in a First Division game against Falkirk in May 2000.
[2] McKeown was forced to retire as a professional player at the age of twenty-seven due to problems with an arthritic hip.
[3] He re-entered the game as player-coach of Wishaw Juniors in the summer of 2011, and was appointed manager of the club in October that year, eventually leading the club to their first promotion in thirty-eight years in 2014.
[4][5] In October 2014, McKeown was announced as the new manager of Cumnock Juniors.
[7] The following month, McKeown joined the coaching staff at Cambuslang Rangers.