Nolberto Solano made more than 300 appearances for Newcastle during two spells in the North East - but his first period on Tyneside ended on a sour note after the Peruvian's relationship with Sir Bobby Robson deteriorated beyond repair. The right-winger had been an ever-present in Robson's exciting Magpies side who had qualified for the Champions League two seasons in a row, but after Solano left for Aston Villa in January 2004, he claimed a breakdown in his relationship with the manager had facilitated the move. Solano, upon returning to the club in 2005, said:
"It was a big wrench to leave Newcastle. My relationship with Robson was difficult in the end. "He changed his mind about me and I was not very happy with the decision he made to sell me. Bobby did not play me and did not tell me why. "I was not very happy. I needed the communication about why I was not playing. Bobby Robson said nothing to me."
Publicly the relationship seemed fine, but privately it appears Robson and Solano were not as close as many thought.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
