One participant was in talks with Liverpool, however selected Newcastle after a decisive telephone name.
Hugo Viana celebrates scoring a successful objective for Newcastle. (Picture: Getty Photographs) This text comprises affiliate hyperlinks, we are going to obtain a fee on any gross sales we generate from it. Be taught extra
Hugo Viana, who was as soon as in discussions to affix Liverpool within the early 2000s, finally opted for Newcastle following a dialog with then-manager Sir Bobby Robson. Because the switch deadline looms, supporters could mirror on previous potential offers, together with one involving Viana and the Reds.
The Portuguese midfielder, now director of soccer at Manchester Metropolis, made a reputation for himself in 2001 with an impressive debut season for Sporting CP. Viana, simply 19 when he made his high-profile transfer to the Premier League, was hailed by then-Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd as “simply the participant Robson desires to spearhead our Champions League bid.”
He additional added: “The consensus is that he is the most effective younger participant on the planet.”
Liverpool additionally had their sights set on the younger expertise, with Gerard Houllier and Abel Xavier encouraging him to affix Anfield and grow to be a fan favorite.
Nonetheless, a single telephone name with Robson swayed Viana’s determination, as Robson’s present place and former tenure at Sporting satisfied him to decide on Newcastle. He recalled: “On the time of the 2002 World Cup, I nonetheless had not selected the place I wished to go. There have been a number of golf equipment concerned with me.
“I spoke on the telephone with Gerard Houllier at Liverpool and one in all my (Portugal) team-mates, Abel Xavier, was at all times telling me to go there. Liverpool are clearly an enormous membership, and I used to be very confused and not sure about what I wished to do, however then I spoke to Bobby Robson and after 5 or ten minutes, I used to be clear about Newcastle.
“I advised him that they wanted to talk to Sporting a few deal, however that there wouldn’t be an enormous concern with my contract. Mr Robson mentioned he knew me; he’d watched some video games at Sporting and within the Underneath-21 European Championships.
‘”On the time of the 2002 World Cup, I nonetheless had not selected the place I wished to go. I believe it’s a waste of time to consider these items. I am not unhappy about my profession.
“It may very well be higher, positive, however it may very well be worse. I by no means look again and suppose what may very well be. It does not change something; issues occur with out your management and you will need to adapt your self to actuality.”
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