8 Most Ridiculous Newcastle United Rumours That Never Happened

6. Beckham For The Toon

Arguably the most famous footballer to ever wear the famous black and white stripes and never actually play for Newcastle. Beckham was snapped in Afghanistan wearing our colours in Afghanistan in 2010 over four years after he allegedly held talks with ex-Magpies chairman Freddy Shepherd at Claridges Hotel in London.

Shepherd is said to have tried to tempt Becks - then a Real Madrid 'Galactico' - with a blend of romance and cold hard cash. Kevin Keegan's fabled no. 7 shirt was a veritable carrot wafted under his nose as was a lavish weekly wage of £120,000 that would have made him the Premier League's highest paid player, along with various image rights deals.

And in our desperation to bring a commercially lucrative, high-profile name to St James' Park in the wake of Michael Owen's injury, Beckham would have been permitted to commute via helicopter to Newcastle from his 'Beckingham Palace' home in Hertfordshire.

Unfortunately the story was quickly refuted by Simon Oliveira, his Spain representative, who told the Daily Mail: "David and Victoria didn't meet with Freddy Shepherd and they haven't discussed a move to Newcastle" and declared that it purely a coincidence that Shepherd was also there.