When Newcastle pillaged Bolton to sign Captain and walking Wanderers legend, he was considered the man to add the goals from midfield that would move Newcastle away from the bottom of the league. Sadly, the signing wasn't the initial success it should have been, and Newcastle were relegated with a whimper. Ultimately though, Nolan proved to be the centre-point of the core of players who dragged Newcastle back to the Premier League, talking publicly about strength in unity and leading on the pitch, as well as scoring for fun. Though Joe Kinnear's time as manager was uninspiring - not something he'd ever admit himself - all Newcastle fans owe him a debt of gratitude for the 5-1 victory over Sunderland that followed almost two years later, which was master-minded by a sublime Nolan.
