James Perch makes astonishing claim about Newcastle owner Mike Ashley

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Former Newcastle United player James Perch has claimed that Mike Ashley used to have influence over team selection at the club.

Perch was signed during the Ashley era, joining the Magpies in 2010 from Nottingham Forest.

After a slow start where all he could do was get booked, Perch emerged as a cult hero.

He became a utility player, doing a job wherever he was asked to play.

In the 2011/12 season where Newcastle came fifth, Perch showed his true value to the club.

However, he would leave one year later to join Wigan in the Championship. His three years at Newcastle were his only time spent in the Premier League.

He even played in the Europa League for Newcastle, helping us reach the quarter final.

This was a really interesting time for Newcastle. The fans weren’t enamoured by Alan Pardew but he was getting results, while Graham Carr’s transfer strategy allowed us to bring in top quality players for a fraction of the price.

While Perch wasn’t as flash as a Yohan Cabaye or a Moussa Sissoko, he was still adored by fans for his desire and commitment.

Perch claims Mike Ashley influenced Newcastle team selection

In an interview with Planet Football, Perch has taken aim at the Newcastle owner. He has even suggested that Ashley influenced Pardew’s team selection.

“I met Mike Ashley three times,” Perch told Planet Football.

“When I signed and when he came to the training ground a couple of times. I know he had influence on team selection. I’d be playing on the Friday, then on the morning of the game, Pardew would ring and say I wasn’t.

“I guess Ashley wanted his better assets to play, I wasn’t a £10-15million player like [Cheick] Tiote or Cabaye, I was just a lad from the Championship, even though I was playing better than them.”

Clearly Ashley’s alleged influence worked, as Newcastle finished fifth in Cabaye’s first season and the year after had a good run in Europe! Perhaps he could give Steve Bruce a hand. I jest, of course…

The fans’ hatred of Ashley was bubbling over at this point. The club had bounced back after relegation, but there were still tensions behind the scenes.

There was also the club’s horrific treatment of Jonas Gutierrez, which Perch mentioned in his interview with Planet Football.

Since then, the desire to see Ashley sell the club hasn’t subsided. Yet he remains owner.

Since Perch left, Newcastle have been relegated again, but were dragged back up to the Premier League by Rafa Benitez.

It did look like Ashley was finally going to sell the club last summer, agreeing a deal with PCP Capital Partners. However, that takeover saga is still rumbling on more than a year later.