There have been many players who have had successful careers after failing at Newcastle United.
That has been the case for several players in recent years, especially while Mike Ashley was the owner of the club. Players were signed left, right and centre during the 2010s but not all of them were able to leave their mark on the club.
Players who left Newcastle United for better careers include Georgino Wijnaldum, who won the Champions League with Liverpool and Florian Thauvin who was part of France’s 2018 World Cup-winning squad. Even this season Newcastle fans have seen Mikel Merino perform well for Arsenal after leaving the Magpies while Rafael Benitez was in charge.
The same cannot be said for players who have left while Eddie Howe has been in charge, with most players joining clubs in lower divisions or failing to find a club altogether. The likes of Chris Wood have impressed elsewhere, but it’s too early to tell whether Elliot Anderson or Yankuba Minteh are to be deemed successful at their new clubs.
Most of the players who left while Howe was at the helm were relics from previous ownership who never stood a chance of getting into Howe’s team.
Other players were completely overlooked on Tyneside. Mehdi Abeid impressed Alan Pardew in the 2010s but was shunned by Steve McClaren when he became head coach.
Another former star never played a competitive game for Newcastle, but one magical night that impressed even the best of footballers has left fans wondering what could have been.
When former Newcastle man Fraser Forster impressed Lionel Messi
Fraser Forster was completely overlooked at Newcastle. The shot-stopper didn’t play a single competitive game during his seven-year stint at the club. Forster came through the academy at Newcastle and did feature in friendlies during pre-season in the 2011/12 season.
The lanky goalkeeper was then signed by Celtic following two seasons on loan – it was in Scotland where he would make a name for himself. Forster was exposed to Champions League football with the Scottish giants. During that season Celtic came up against Barcelona who had a prime Lionel Messi at their disposal.
Remarkably, Celtic beat the Spanish Titans 2-1 at Celtic Park, mostly thanks to Forster’s sensational performance between the sticks which saw him make a whopping 13 saves.
Messi did eventually score against him in stoppage time but it was too little too late as Celtic secured a historic win against one of the best teams in the world at the time.
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Years after, Messi talked about the game and Forster’s performance to the Daily Star.
“The performance of Fraser Forster against us was talked about for a long time,” Messi said.
“There was one game in Scotland when he was not human, it was the best goalkeeping performance I have seen.
“When Victor Valdes said that he was leaving Barcelona we even talked about him playing here.”
Forster helped Celtic win seven trophies during two spells at the club, but that night in the Champions League may be up there with some of the greatest in his career.
Fraser Forster’s career after Newcastle exit
Had Forster been given a chance at Newcastle, you never know what could have happened during Pardew’s reign at the club.
After two years with Celtic, Forster joined Southampton, helping them reach the Carabao Cup final in the 2016/17 season. Forster returned to Celtic on loan in the 2019/20 season and spent eight years on the South Coast before joining Tottenham Hotspur where he still plays to this day.
Forster played his first Champions League game in over 3,000 days in 2023 against AC Milan. This season, Forster has enjoyed renewed yet unexpected game time for Spurs.
Now 36, Forster was thrown into Tottenham’s first-team squad after an injury to Guglielmo Vicario. However, it was not the best of returns for him, as he conceded 21 goals in 10 games across all competitions.
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