9 Newcastle Fans Who Should Have Played For The Club

For some, it’s simply a case of timing.

Had Tim Krul and Fraser Forster not been of a similar age and battling each other for the goalkeeper’s jersey, then the latter might have carved out a long and distinguished career on Tyneside. He might have emulated Shay Given, gone on to receive adulation from 52,000 Geordies every week and forced his way into the England set-up. Instead, he ended up never playing for the club, and shunted out on loan before being forced to sign for a club as far away from home as the borders would allow.

“I’d like to go back to Newcastle at some point, if the opportunity arises. I’m a Newcastle fan and I’ve got unfinished business there. It was a wrench to leave, it’s my hometown club. But it wasn’t meant to be. I wanted to be number one and it was clear that wasn’t going to happen at Newcastle.” - Fraser Forster, April 2013.

The sad thing is that the 28-year-old has arguably usurped Krul at this stage, with the Southampton shot-stopper establishing himself as one of the finest goalkeepers in the country and a worthy challenger to Joe Hart on the international front.

Newcastle are well-stocked with goalkeepers at the minute, with Matz Sels, Rob Elliot, Karl Darlow and Freddie Woodman keeping Krul company, and Forster seems perfectly content at St. Mary’s. But when there is a player with that much talent who dreams of pulling on the Newcastle strip, it seems a waste for them to ply their trade elsewhere.