Albert Luque must have wondered just what had become of his career. In April 2004, he had netted the third for Deportivo La Coruna in a famous 4-0 quarter-final victory over AC Milan in the Champions League. He was a Spanish international, and tipped to have a bright future in the game. Fast-forward two and a half years, and he had been told by boss Glenn Roeder that he would not even be involved in Newcastle Uniteds match-day squad for the visit of lowly Watford. One cant blame the £9 million flop for being disappointed, as the spark in his once-promising career was quickly being extinguished in the north-east, but his reaction to the news was still unprofessional to say the least. Having received the news, Luque chose not to stay for the game and instead stormed home before kick-off, once again raising questions regarding his future at the club.
''My only concerns are the lads out there and the subs whove come on. Its a very happy dressing room. Is he the first to ever do it? No. More famous players have done it. I could name two Chelsea players who werent involved last Wednesday and who drove home, and I didnt see Jose Mourinho having a big thing about it. Things have changed - were nearly in 2007. - Glenn Roeder, December 2006.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
