Haris Vuckic can’t stop scoring in the Eredivisie with FC Twente – should Newcastle hand him a second Premier League chance?
Ivan Toney is not the only former Newcastle United forward in the form of his life in front of goal.
While the rangy frontman is tearing League One defences apart as one third of Peterborough United’s terrific triumvirate, Haris Vuckic is reaping the rewards of being converted from a technically gifted playmaker into a bullish number nine.
It seems a long time since Vuckic was wearing the famous black and white stripes. But, while the Slovenian international made most of his first-team appearances during the era of Demba Ba, Yohan Cabaye and Papiss Cisse, the 2011/12 season in which The Magpies finished an improbable fifth under Alan Pardew, Vuckic actually only bid farewell to St James’ Park two years ago.
A series of loan spells, at the likes of Wigan Athletic, Rangers and Bradford, wasn’t enough for Vuckic to force his way into Rafa Benitez’s plans and a departure in the summer of 2017 appeared to come at the right time for everyone involved.
But, still just 27 years of age, Vuckic is making up for lost time at last. Not content with helping FC Twente earn promotion back to the Eredivisie last season, Vuckic has started life back in the top flight with a bang.
Seven goals in just 12 games so far, the latest a predatory front-post flick against PEC Zwolle, highlights his transformation into an aggressive, all-action, 6ft 1ins centre-forward.
“I think you guys in Newcastle still have questions: ‘Would Haris have made it in the Premier League without his injuries?’ That answer will be hard for me to get,” the man himself told The Chronicle recently.
Maybe so.
But with Vuckic’s contract expiring at the end of the season, and with Newcastle still lacking both depth and quality in the centre-forward position amid claims that Dwight Gayle and Yoshinori Muto could both go in the winter, handing Vuckic a second chance at St James’ Park is a risk certainly worth taking.
The phrase ‘unfinished business’ comes to mind.
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