Kevin Nolan now says he had the chance to leave Newcastle after relegation but didn't take it

The two Newcastle United relegations, although absolute hammer blows at the time, now seem like distant memories.

And despite being so close to the drop less than three years ago, the idea of going down now is just unthinkable.

One former player who experienced the hell of relegation with Newcastle United was Kevin Nolan who was part of the team the first time the club was relegated to the Championship in 2009.

There was a total lack of harmony at the club at the time and Nolan, speaking on TalkSPORT touched on the talent that was at the club but also the number of players who just didn't want to play.

Kevin Nolan said he had unfinished business at Newcastle

That lack of effort was a huge problem at the time, and typified the problems at the club under Mike Ashley - nobody cared. However, Nolan said he had the chance to return to Bolton after Newcastle's relegation but didn't take it.

"Bolton had just let me go, they wanted me back, Gary Megson wanted me back and I just said no, 'I can't, I've got unfinished business here, I want to prove to these that I can make it successful'. So it's probably what was needed at that time, to clear out a lot of people who didn't want to be there because there was a lot of players who didn't want to play for the club."

Nolan went on to say that there was still a fair bit of work to be done ahead of the season in the Championship, touching on an infamous friendly defeat.

Nolan was instrumental in turning Newcastle around

Newcastle got battered by Leyton Orient in pre-season but it was the catalyst the lads needed.

"There was a lot of players still trying to get themselves out and I remember we went down to Leyton Orient and we lost 6-0 and that's when I lost my head. I remember going in, skips went all over the place, I was booting everything I was like 'I'm not going to be a part of this. If you need to go you've got to go, just put your hands up. It doesn't have to come out of this dressing room but we'll help you get out and we'll move forward.' We needed that, we needed that kick up the backside."

Newcastle went on to dominate the Championship that season and we have Kevin Nolan to thank for sorting out the dressing room.