5 Awesome Newcastle United Captains (And 5 That Sucked)
5 Best...
5. Kevin Nolan
Although, officially, Nicky Butt was Newcastle's club captain and Alan Smith his deputy, Nolan regularly wore the armband in their absence - which was effectively the entire campaign - during our one-season stopover in the Championship. Nolan, old fashioned in his approach to the morals of being a captain, was the inspiration behind our immediate return to the Premier League and a vocally influential player behind the scenes. Never more so than in the aftermath of relegation when he stepped in to help Chris Hughton bring stability to a dressing room gripped by strife and off the field distractions. It was this action that provided the stimulus for our resurgent march back into the top-flight. Weighing in with 18 goals from 48 appearances in all competitions, including a brilliant volley against Sheffield United that sealed our promotion, the Liverpudlian was named the Championship's Player of the Year and assumed the club captaincy on a full-time basis following Butt's retirement. The subsequent campaign would be a memorable one for Nolan with his unnerving ability to time is runs into the penalty area seeing him score 12 times from midfield and etch his name into Geordie folklore with a stunning Tyne-Wear derby hat-trick in our 5-1 demolition of Sunderland at St James' Park. Little did we know it would be his last in a black and white shirt. I love everything about the football club and the city," he said in February 2011 just a few months before he was forcibly sold to West Ham after failing to agree terms on a new contract with Mike Ashley. It's fair to say we're a poorer side without Nolan's leadership.
