9 Newcastle Fans Who Should Have Played For The Club

"Dimitar wore this (Newcastle) shirt all the time. He even used to sleep in his Newcastle shirt! It's that special to him. He told me it was his dream to play for Newcastle United one day and wear the same shirt as Alan Shearer. Shearer was a major inspiration. He liked the fact that Alan Shearer scored goals but was not a selfish player. He thinks this shirt may even have been a sign he was meant to play in England." - Margarita Berbatov, October 2007.

Mothers never stop embarrassing their kids in some way. So there you have it - the mercurial frontman used to sleep in a Newcastle kit, with idol Alan Shearer’s name and number imprinted on the back. Dimitar Berbatov was a roaring success in England, repaying Spurs’ £10 million investment tenfold with 46 goals over the course of two seasons before wrapping up a £30 million move to Manchester United.

Since the frontman lasted just four seasons at Old Trafford before departing for Fulham, many try to label him a poor fit for the club but his record speaks for itself - 56 goals in 149 appearances, six trophies, oh and a hat-trick against Liverpool. Newcastle were this summer linked with a move for the 35-year-old, now out of contract. Considering his reluctance to break into a sprint even ten years ago, the man has probably slowed to the point of standing still at this stage.

However, the Bulgarian would have been the perfect replacement for Alan Shearer ten years ago - instead the club shelled out a similar fee for Obafemi Martins. It is what it is.