Newcastle United have missed out on signing some quality players in the past.
Since the takeover in 2021, fans will agree that there have been a slew of big names linked with moves to Newcastle United, some realistic, others less so.
It was the same before the takeover as well, during the 90s and early 2000s Newcastle had pulling power thanks to their entertaining style of football and high Premier League finishes.
A Ballon d’Or winner George Weah wanted to join Newcastle in 1995 and club legend Kevin Keegan wanted him on Tyneside. There’s no doubt that Weah would’ve been a hit at the club and would’ve joined the list of legendary Newcastle strikers.
Newcastle have also missed the boat on certain players in the past. Following a successful loan spell, Mike Ashley refused to sign Salomon Rondon for £16.5 in a move which was a catalyst for Rafa Benitez’s departure in 2019.
With fans left to wonder ‘what if’, a Premier League legend revealed in 2020 that he would have liked to have joined Newcastle during his career.
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Gary Neville would’ve joined Newcastle United
Gary Neville was part of Manchester United’s iconic ‘Class of ’92’ alongside David Beckham and former Newcastle midfielder Nicky Butt, who retired at the Magpies.
Neville spent his entire career at Man United, winning eight Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues. However, things could’ve been a lot different if the opportunity arose. Neville would have been open to a move to Tyneside during his playing career.
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When asked about if he would’ve ever moved away from Man United on the Sky Sports Off Script podcast in 2020, Neville said: “I’d made the decision quite early in my 30s that if Sir Alex [Ferguson] had come and told me my time was up, I wouldn’t have played for anyone else. I was fortunate in that sense.
“However, if he’d come to me at say the age of 28, and told me my time was up, of course I would have played for another Premier League club.
“Who would I have played for? You can rule out three: I’d have never have played for City, Liverpool or Leeds. Not in a million years. I don’t feel anything bad towards the players who did that, but me personally, I couldn’t have done it. The rivalry is just too much.
“If you’d said to me, in a perfect world, in my years of playing, which clubs in the Premier League have the tradition, a proper club? Arsenal would be No 1. The tradition of Highbury, I felt they did things the right way. Also in the Premier League, I like Aston Villa and Newcastle.”
Gary Neville’s appreciation for Newcastle United
Post-footballing career, Neville is a pundit for Sky Sports and is a frequent visitor to St James’ Park for televised games, sometimes alongside Jamie Carragher.
Neville is fond of Newcastle and has previously gone out of his way to praise them, especially post-takeover.
Following the Magpies’ win against Man United in December 2024, Neville praised Alexander Isak who found the net during the game, calling him a ‘helluva player’.
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Neville is a fan of Anthony Gordon, persistently rallying for him to play during England’s Euro 2024 campaign which only saw him feature for five minutes during the group stages.
With the Magpies struggling with PSR, Neville has defended Newcastle claiming that they should be able to spend the same amount of money that the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal or Liverpool can.
Newcastle fans can always hear Neville as a pundit on television, but many will wonder what the Ashley years could’ve looked like with him as part of it.
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