The grass isn’t always greener for those who leave Newcastle United.
West Ham United’s Andy Carroll after being injured
Newcastle supporters might not want to admit it, but the club is often used as a stepping stone by players as they chase bigger game.
When signing on the dotted line, players often trot out the same, tired cliché about how they’ve dreamt about ‘playing in England’ or ‘have always admired the passion of the Newcastle fans’. However, when the likes of a club offering Champions League football or bigger wages come along, they’re gone quicker than you cough *Sissoko*.
For some, it works out for them and they go on to achieve bigger and better things. The likes of Andy Cole, James Milner and even Danny Simpson would lay testament to that. However for others, they might wish that they had stayed put instead of pining for the greener grass outside of Tyneside.
Take a look at the starting XI of Newcastle players whose careers took a major downwards slump after leaving the club.
Shay Given
When Sir Bobby Robson left the club in 2004 and Newcastle began to tumble down the Premier League, the heroics of Shay Given became even more important than ever. The Irishman had shone for the Magpies ever since making the move from Blackburn in 1997, but it was down to his shot-stopping abilities that kept the club afloat before inevitably sinking into the second tier within six months of his departure.
Having grown sick of witnessing shambolic displays of defensive inadequacy every week, he made the move to Champions League chasers Manchester City in search of his first taste of silverware. Given did collect an FA Cup medal in 2011, but by then he had been relegated to the role of Joe Hart’s understudy.
Given made just 50 league appearances during his two-and-a-half years at the Etihad before signing a five-year deal at Aston Villa in 2012. Poor form would see him dropped in 2012.
He is now on the books of Stoke City as a 40-year-old but aside from a brief loan spell at Middlesbrough, he has never been the number one goalkeeper for a team.
Stoke City’s Shay Given
Mathieu Debuchy
Mathieu Debuchy had aspirations of making it big when he left Tyneside in 2014. The Frenchman had only stayed at St. James’ Park for 18 months before making the summer move to Arsenal for a fee of £12 million. Debuchy stated that it was his intent to ‘help Arsenal compete for trophies’.
Nightmare struck for former Lille defender when he damaged his ankle ligaments within a month of his debut, ruling him out until December. He was injured again a month later, and was ruled out until April.
By then, Hector Bellerin had usurped him as the club’s number one right-back and the Frenchman was shuffled off to Bordeaux on loan after just 10 Premier League appearances for the Gunners.
At 31, he is still on the books of Arsenal but is very much stuck on the bench as Bellerin continues to excel.
Arsenal’s Mathieu Debuchy warms up
Jonathan Woodgate
It might be unfair to lump Jonathan Woodgate in this list, considering he went on to play for Real Madrid, captain his hometown club and score the winner in a Carling Cup final, but as one of the most promising English centre-halves at the turn of the millenium, he will have hoped for more.
At 24, the England international was tipped to break into the England starting XI for Euro 2004. Injuries curtailed his ambitions, and that would be the story of his career. He left Newcastle in August of that year, with the lure of Real Madrid far too irresistible.
However due to a series of injuries, the unlucky Woodgate would have to wait 13 months to make his debut – where he scored an own goal and received a red card.
Injuries dictated that he played just nine times in La Liga for the club during his two-year stay in the capital, and he was subsequently voted the worst signing of the 21st century in a newspaper poll. His career took an upturn when he returned to England, enjoying spells at Middlesbrough and Tottenham, only for injury to strike again during the 09/10 season.
The former England international hung up his boots this year but has played 178 league games from a possible 526 since his departure from Newcastle 12 years ago.
Middlesbrough’s Jonathan Woodgate celebrates promotion to the premier league with his family
Sebastien Bassong
Newcastle fans may have sung the name of Sebastien Bassong when he initially arrived on Tyneside but they were soon angered by his public declaration that he wanted to leave in the wake of relegation.
After just one season at St. James’ Park, where the club plucked him from Ligue 1 obscurity, Bassong was quick to jump at the bright lights of London and seal a move to Spurs.
It didn’t quite pan out for him at White Hart Lane, losing his place after his first season. After a loan spell at Wolves confirmed that he was no longer in their plans, he was sold to Norwich where the Championship finally caught up with him.
Norwich’s Sebastien Bassong in action with Bournemouth’s Benik Afobe
Jose Enrique
Jose Enrique was a popular figure at Newcastle until he sent a parting message that the club would never compete for a top-six place under Mike Ashley’s stewardship.
Geordies wasted no time in reminding the Spanish left-back of his comments when he returned to St. James’ Park, donning the goalkeeping gloves following a red card, with Newcastle perched in fifth and above the Reds.
Enrique’s career with the Reds began brightly, but he soon fell out of favour and made just 12 league appearances in his final three seasons at the club. At just 30, he is now playing for Real Zaragoza in the Spanish second tier.
Jose Enrique – Liverpool
Laurent Robert
Beloved by Newcastle fans for his sparkling free-kicks and wondrous tricks, Laurent Robert’s love affair with the club came to an acrimonious end with the arrival of Graeme Souness in 2005. The pair didn’t see eye-to-eye and Robert was forced out, first on loan to Portsmouth, and then permanently to Benfica in 2006.
He may have been 31 when he left but the final three years of his career don’t make for pretty reading. He barely featured for either Benfica or Levante. Worse still, he couldn’t even get into Derby County’s starting XI – officially the worst Premier League team of all time. Spells at Toronto and Larissa followed before the Frenchman finally gave up at the age of 34.
Kieron Dyer
Kieron Dyer recently revealed that his ‘biggest regret’ was getting Sir Bobby Robson the sack at Newcastle United. Perhaps second on the list is leaving Newcastle for West Ham.
The talented midfielder was never blessed when it came to avoiding injuries at St. James’ Park, but he seemed to be cursed at Upton Park. After completing a £6 million move in 2007, he broke his leg in two places two ten days after his debut. Dyer would not play any more football that season.
After 17 months, the-then 30-year-old made his comeback in January 2009 but injuries persisted, hampering him all throughout the calendar year. The £60,000 per week signing made just 22 appearances for the Hammers in his four seasons at the club, never completing a full game. He cost them £450,000 per match for every game he played.
He has had brief stints at Ipswich Town, Queens Park Rangers and Middlesbrough since, but Dyer’s career as a top-level threat effectively ended with that contract signature at Upton Park nine years ago. He retired in 2013.
West Ham United’s Kieron Dyer on the substitute bench
Yohan Cabaye
Yohan Cabaye is cast as the villain at St. James’ Park for his petulant antics in forcing a move from Newcastle. Having seen a bid rejected from Arsenal, the Frenchman refused to play for the club in a game against Manchester City, drawing the ire of the passionate Geordies.
The talented playmaker did get his move, sealing a transfer to PSG and with that, moving one step closer to flushing his international career down the drain.
Cabaye found it difficult to break into the starting XI for the French champions during his two-year stay in Paris and returned to England in 2015, signing for Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace. He may not have killed his career, but the 30-year-old midfielder might have hoped to have made far bigger strides by now.
Crystal Palace’s Yohan Cabaye in action with Newcastle’s Cheick Tiote
Charles N’Zogbia
Charles N’Zogbia had big plans for himself when he was crafting an exit from Newcastle in 2009. Claiming that Arsenal was his ‘preferred destination’ amid reports of a transfer tug-of-war between them, Tottenham and Lyon, the Frenchman’s soundbites bore a striking resemblance to another French midfielder, now at White Hart Lane.
When Wenger failed to land the want away winger, choosing instead to sign Euro 2008 star Andrei Arshavin, N’Zogbia ended up at Wigan such was his desperation to cut the chord with the club who gave him his chance in English football.
After two-and-a-half years of shining in a small pond, N’Zogbia leapt onto the next stone in Aston Villa. In his five years at the club, he failed to produce anything of note, scoring four goals in 80 league appearances and featuring twice last season in what was the club’s worst ever Premier League season.
At just 30, he is a free agent.
Aston Villa’s Charles N’Zogbia (L) in action against Sunderland’s David Vaughan
Andy Carroll
Newcastle supporters were furious when local star Andy Carroll left the club for Liverpool midway through the 10/11 season. His early-season form had earned him a call-up to the national side and he was being talked about in the same terms as Alan Shearer.
With the £35 million price tag weighing heavily upon his shoulders, the-then 21-year-old failed to fill the void of Fernando Torres and managed just six league goals in 44 games for the Reds.
Since moving to West Ham in 2012, initially on loan, he has been plagued by injuries and he has never scored more than nine league goals in a season – or indeed, made more than 27 league appearances.
West Ham’s Andy Carroll reacts
Obafemi Martins
Obafemi Martins was a cult hero at Newcastle. His pace, power and explosiveness was everything Geordies craved and he delivered, banging in 35 goals across his three seasons at the club.
Since leaving upon the club’s relegation in 2009 however, he has failed to replicate such form at the top level. Nearly every club he has gone to since has been short-lived, failing at Wolfsburg, Rubin Kazan, Birmingham City (aside from a Carling Cup final winner), and Levante.
At 28, he moved to the MLS and notched 40 goals across three seasons for Seattle Sounders before signing for Shanghai Greenland Shenhua this summer. He is still only 31.
Obafemi Martins playing for Newcastle United
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
