Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot has discussed how he almost left the club last summer.
Newcastle United goalkeeper Rob Elliot has told The Northern Echo that he was trying and failing in his bid to sign for a Championship club last summer.
Elliot, 29, joined the Magpies from Charlton Athletic back in the summer of 2011, but has mostly been used as a backup goalkeeper to first-choice Tim Krul.
Ahead of this season, Elliot was seen as third choice behind Krul and Karl Darlow, but injuries to both players meant that the Republic of Ireland international as thrust into the spotlight.
Elliot has now made 21 Premier League appearances this season, turning in some fine performances for Newcastle, to the point where he may even be considered as their Player of the Year.
Now, Elliot – who is in contention to play for Ireland at this summer’s European Championships in France – has spoken about his season, and his career turnaround at St. James’ Park.
Speaking to The Northern Echo, Elliot admitted that he was in fact looking to leave Tyneside in order to play first-team football for a Championship club – but couldn’t find a team that would sign him.
Elliot believes that was down to his injury history over the last few years, but in a strange twist, failing to secure a transfer actually worked out well for the shot stopper, who is now a key player for Rafael Benitez’s side.
“I was looking to try and get a Championship club to play at, probably at the lower end, but was struggling to do that,” said Elliot. “Mainly because I had been injured for seven or eight months and hadn’t played a lot of games previously, so it was hard for clubs to gauge where I was at in my career,” he added.
Have you been surprised with Elliot’s performances this season?
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