10 Players Newcastle Were Mad To Let Go

10. Aaron Hughes - Sold To Aston Villa For £1 Million (2005)

Newcastle United Appearances (1997-2005): 278 Newcastle United Goals: 7 International Appearances for Northern Ireland (Goals): 96 (1) Clubs (Since Leaving NUFC): Aston Villa (2005-07), Fulham (2007-14), Queens Park Rangers (2014), Brighton & Hove Albion (2014-15) Career Appearances (Since Leaving NUFC): 338 Career Goals (Since Leaving NUFC): 3

Aaron Hughes had played in the Newcastle first team for eight full seasons when he was bizarrely shipped out to Aston Villa for just £1 million in May 2005. A player who had represented the club in the Champions League and been a member of Sir Bobby Robson's fine early-2000s side, Hughes was versatile and was a solid performer at both full-back and centre-back. After impressing during two years at Villa Park, Hughes then joined Fulham in 2007 - and went on to become a stalwart at centre-back for seven years for the west London club. While Newcastle have struggled to find a reliable centre-back over the last 10 years, a player they let leave for £1 million has been regularly performing to a high level at other Premier League sides. It was a bizarre decision to let the 96-cap Northern Ireland international leave - and they have paid the price for it over the past decade.