Who saw this one coming? Not only do Real Madrid rarely spend big on defenders, but here was a centre-back with a history of well-documented injury problems. He had been at Newcastle United for just 18 months, and had been restricted to just 28 league appearances in that time, while he only featured a combined 27 times in his final two full seasons for Leeds United. Indeed, he was injured when Real Madrid came in with a £13.4 million bid, with an knock sustained in April having curtailed his season and ruined his Euro 2004 ambitions. It came as a shock to most in the football world, but while Woodgate was a solid centre-half on his day, chairman Freddy Shepherd gleefully rubbed his hands together and accepted the sizeable fee for his injury-cursed defender.
''I dont blame Jonathan in a way because hes going to arguably the biggest club in the world, I think, at this moment. The power of Figo and Ronaldo, Zidane, then Beckham, and now Owen. If you were in his shoes, what would you do. This is an extreme, exceptional offer which basically we had to take. No-one is pleased that hes gone because we know what weve lost. At his best, hes the best in the country. - Freddy Shepherd, August 2004.
They say you get what you pay for, and in this case it was probably true. Due to a series of knocks and niggles, the former Leeds United centre-half had to wait 13 months to make his debut for the club. When that day finally arrived, he infamously scored an own goal and got sent off. Unsurprisingly, it wasnt long before hed been voted by supporters as being the worst signing of the 21st century, and shipped back to England via Middlesbrough.
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.
