Signed from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2002 for £8.5 million, Hugo Viana had already claimed the Portugese title during his debut season and had earned the Young European Football of the Year award, so he arrived at Newcastle United as a 19-year-old of who big things were expected. Yet, just two seasons later, Viana had returned to Sporting on loan having scored just two goals in 56 appearances as Sir Bobby Robson struggled to work out how to best utilise the talented midfielder. Technically brilliant and a player who is blessed with a magnificent eye for a pass, Viana has proven at the likes of Valencia and Sporting Braga that he is best suited to playing in the middle, and most often as a deep-lying playmaker. The 29-cap Portugal international is not the most mobile player in the world and struggles to beat a man, yet he was regularly deployed wide left or out of position at Newcastle by Robson, and he was accused of being too "lightweight" for the Premier League. Although he has never fulfilled the huge hype which surrounded his transfer to Newcastle in the first place, Viana could certainly have forged a decent career as part of the Magpies side if he had been deployed corrected. However, Newcastle cut their losses on Viana before that could ever be the case. For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow WhatCulture.com/NUFC on Twitter and Facebook.
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.
