10 Newcastle Players Who Turned Around A Bad Start

2. James Perch

For the best part of six months, whenever the £1.5 million signing from Nottingham Forest would appear on the team-sheet, a collective groan could be heard rippling around St. James' Park. Drafted in as a right-back upon Newcastle's promotion back to the top-flight in 2010, Perch quickly enraged Geordies with displays of sheer ineptitude. It wasn't that Perch wasn't trying his heart out - on the contrary, it was that despite his best efforts, he simply wasn't Premier League quality. And it showed. By the middle of September, he had set the unenviable Premier League record of becoming the first Newcastle player to collect a yellow card in his first five league games. The following week, he powered home a bullet header into his own net to seal a rare victory for Stoke City at St. James' Park. He was fast gaining a notorious reputation as one of the club's worst ever signings. It speaks volumes about the extent of Perch's improvement during his time on Tyneside that there was something of a sombre discourse echoing around the place when he packed his bags for Wigan Athletic last summer. Having steadied himself at the club, he established cult status amongst the Toon faithful for a series of honest and valiant displays in a variety of different positions. Earning himself the affectionate name 'Perchinho' from the adoring support, it was a true 360 degree turnaround for the player who once had Geordies pulling their hair out in exasperation.