Newcastle United flop now says ill-fated two-year spell on Tyneside made him 'stronger' and is now flying in Premier League

Not every transfer is guaranteed to work out; such is the nature of football, and in 2016 Newcastle United made a signing that failed spectacularly.

Rafa Benitez wanted to shake up the goalkeeper situation at Newcastle United and brought in highly-regarded Belgian 'keeper Matz Sels.

For whatever reason, it just didn't click for Sels at Newcastle and despite signing a five-year deal he was shipped out after just two years, with one of those spent out on loan at Anderlecht.

Sels made a permanent switch to Strasbourg where he rediscovered his form, broke into the Belgium national squad and eventually earned a move back to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest where he is now first-choice and a big part of their strong start to the season - that Newcastle United just blew a huge hole in at the weekend.

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Matz Sels grew stronger thanks to the poor spell at Newcastle

Matz Sels still gets a lot of stick from Newcastle fans ... well, me at least, but in truth, he is way better than his spell at Newcastle will suggest, and even he knows that, but he is looking at the positives of his time on Tyneside as he revealed to De Morgen.

"For 99 percent of footballers, the Premier League is a dream. I can only confirm that. I have not seen the intensity there anywhere else. Every day I work hard to prove that I am worthy of playing in the Premier League.

“Why is it working now and not eight years ago at Newcastle? That was my first time abroad and the beginning was just very difficult, which meant that I was behind the facts. That was one of my biggest mistakes. I have never been able to turn that negative perception around.

"Ultimately, I don't look back on that period with resentment, because it's part of the job. Every footballer has a period when things aren't going so well. That makes you stronger. The most important thing is how you deal with those moments. I then chose to get playing opportunities elsewhere.

"You know, as a goalkeeper you get better as you get older - provided you take care of yourself and feel physically well. I have played almost 400 games now; then you can read the situations more easily.”

Matz Sels got payback on Newcastle United in a way

In a way, Sels got his revenge on Newcastle in the end as his arrival at Nottingham Forest forced Odysseas Vlachodimos down the pecking order and ultimately into a quasi-swap deal with Newcastle United to help the Magpies and Forest avoid PSR sanctions.

Newcastle spent £20 million on Vlachodimas despite not wanting him. So, well played Matz, well played.

Still, we've beaten Nottingham Forest twice already this season, so who are the real winners here?