Newcastle United have had some close calls with top, top players over the years with perhaps the most famous example being Luca Modric.
Former Newcastle ... something, Tony Jiminez famously turned down the chance to sign Luka Modric for the Toon famously saying "I’ve watched him, I don’t think he is big enough or strong enough to play in the Premier League". Mind, we've had some muppets in positions of power at our club over the years.
Newcastle were also in the running for Mohammed Salah before he joined Chelsea. Granted, his time at Chelsea was nothing like what he's gone on to achieve at Liverpool, but we were close there too.
Now, former player turned agent Barry Silkman has regaled TalkSPORT with the story of how Newcastle United turned down Zinedine Zidane.
Imagine being offered one of the greatest players to ever grace the game for a measly £1.2 million and turning it down. That's what Newcastle did as Silkman recalls.
"I went out to watch him [Zidane] play. I was told about him, went out to watch him. I watched 45 minutes... He came on at halftime, scored two and made one, but after 15 minutes, you could see.
"I didn't have to sit there any longer. His brain was two yards quicker than everyone on the pitch.
"I spoke to the president after the game, and they wanted £1.2million and they said, we'll give you back a commission out of that. I thought it's only one club this guy really suits - Newcastle."
"He [Keegan] sent the the scout and I will never forget this, [it was] in the day of the fax machines. I get a phone call on the Monday and said, 'Silky, in the next half hour you'll be getting a fax about the player [Zidane].
"The fax came through and I will never, ever forget it. I wished I'd kept it.
"The fax said: Silky has grossly over-exaggerated the player, and at that time Wolves were bottom of what is now the Championship. I don't even think he could play for Wolves.
"I said to Kevin, whoever it was that went to watch him, sack him."
That would be a funny story if it wasn't so damn painful to read. Kevin Keegan's entertainers with Zinedine Zidane playing behind Alan Shearer? My word.
Ah well, hindsight is 20/20, I suppose. I'm not going to be able to stop thinking about Zidane and Shearer in the same side now, though.
Let's not make these mistakes again, please.
PL | GD | PTS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
![]() |
25 | 36 | 60 |
2 |
![]() |
25 | 29 | 53 |
3 |
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25 | 12 | 47 |
4 |
![]() |
25 | 17 | 44 |
5 |
![]() |
25 | 15 | 43 |
6 |
![]() |
25 | 13 | 43 |
7 |
![]() |
25 | 9 | 41 |
8 |
![]() |
25 | 5 | 39 |
9 |
![]() |
25 | -3 | 38 |
10 |
![]() |
25 | 0 | 37 |
11 |
![]() |
25 | 1 | 34 |
12 |
![]() |
25 | 12 | 30 |
13 |
![]() |
25 | -3 | 30 |
14 |
![]() |
25 | -4 | 30 |
15 |
![]() |
25 | -7 | 29 |
16 |
![]() |
25 | -18 | 27 |
17 |
![]() |
25 | -19 | 19 |
18 |
![]() |
25 | -27 | 17 |
19 |
![]() |
25 | -30 | 17 |
20 |
![]() |
25 | -38 | 9 |