9 Newcastle Fans Who Should Have Played For The Club

You’d be hard pushed to find a Newcastle fan who wished Steve Bruce represented the club in any capacity following his Sunderland exploits. Following that 5-1 drubbing on Halloween six years ago, the man is a figure of fun on Tyneside rather than someone to be taken seriously. At least, that is how the narrative goes.

However, whatever you might think of the former Hull boss as a manager, the 55-year-old was one heck of a centre-half. Lasting nine years at Old Trafford, Bruce was a calm and assured defender and a reason behind their three league titles and three FA Cups. The defender never did sign for his hometown club, which should be regarded as a real shame. It’s not as if this club has been inundated with top-quality centre-halves over the years. Now as for appointing him manager, that’s another matter entirely.

“I maybe have some regrets not taking it (the Newcastle job). You’ll always think what could have been. A lot of us in football have what ifs. I was very, very close when Sir Bobby went. I’d just given my word to Birmingham and signed a new contract, so I couldn’t just leave. I didn’t think I could go back on my word, but it was close. I’ve always kept an eye on Newcastle. Being a Geordie, it was the club I supported as a boy.” - Steve Bruce, September 2013.