Keegan’s ‘Entertainers’
NEWCASTLE United were promoted to the Premiership under Kevin Keegan in 1993, and after one season powered by the goals of Andy Cole, the club finished 6th and began establishing themselves as a solid top flight side.
Dubbed ‘The Entertainers’ for their attacking style of play, Newcastle signed the likes of Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer in an attempt to push on and in mid-season of their second Premiership campaign, found themselves leading the top flight by twelve points.
In an unfamiliar position the Magpies began to feel the pressure from champions Manchester United who sought to retain their title and in the most famous of all managerial rants, Kevin Keegan announced that he would ‘love it’ if his side could overhaul United and win the Premiership title. Sadly it wasn’t to be for Newcastle as a goal from Eric Cantona in the late season game between the two clubs seemed to swing the championship in the reds favour and eventually the trophy returned to Old Trafford.
Forced to settle for second place, Newcastle went again the following season and managed to make the UEFA Cup quarter final in 1996 and finished second in the Premiership once more.
Despite two successful seasons in charge, Keegan made a shock decision to resign as the club’s manager in January 1997 causing heartache and confusion amongst the fans. Many felt that his decision had been brewing since the club threw away the title the previous season, but Newcastle had to accept that their spiritual leader had left and carried on rebuilding with Kenny Dalglish in charge.
Keegan made a surprise return to the club as manager in 2008, eleven years since leaving the club first time around. He was unable to recapture the spirit of the previous season’s title challenges and after just 232 days in charge he resigned once more sitting ‘an inability to take full control of the team due to interference from Mike Ashley.’
He still remains a huge hero to Newcastle faithful and despite not winning the title Newcastle’s spell with Keegan in charge will always be remembered by their supporters. What happened to the players from the Keegan team?
Steve Harper
As a young goalkeeper at the club Steve Harper spent the 1995/6 season on loan in a bid to gain first team experience. The stopper’s first spell was at Bradford City, but after failing to make an impact he returned to Newcastle before joining Gateshead in a similar deal.
Harper is the only player to have been at the club during both of Keegan’s spells, but despite his status as the club’s current longest serving player Harper only became the first choice goalkeeper at United in 2008 when Shay Given joined Manchester City. The thirty-five year old helped his side regain promotion from the Championship in 2009/10 and is currently keeping goal for the Magpies as they strive to re-establish themselves in the top flight.
Shaka Hislop
Hislop suffered an injury during the 1995/6 campaign which saw him miss much of the title run-in. As Newcastle continued to perform well in his absence, Hislop became a frustrated sub, and was largely forced to watch from the bench as Newcastle threw away their huge lead at the top of the table.
When he replaced Keegan, new boss Kenny Dalglish brought in Shay Given as his number one choice goalkeeper, and eventually Hislop’s contract expired without the club offering him a new deal. Harry Redknapp snapped up the Trinidad and Tobago international, bringing him to East London as part of the West Ham United set-up. As the Hammers improved into a top ten Premiership club under Redknapp, Hislop spent much of his time battling for the number one spot with David James.
Despite Redknapp’s departure several years later, Hislop continued to be a West Ham player, and it was only when his former boss, then manager at Portsmouth, came calling that he departed Upton Park. In his first campaign on the South Coast he helped Pompey gain promotion to the Premier League. His stay on the south Coast lasted three years before Hislop chose to return to Upton Park, this time under Alan Pardew. He played in the 2006 FA Cup final which the Hammers lost on penalties, and during the summer of the same year he represented his national team at the World Cup in Germany.
In his final season as a footballer, the goalkeeper played for FC Dallas in the MLS and at the age of 39 he decided to hang up his boots.
Currently Hislop is employed by satellite broadcaster ESPN to provide commentary on Serie A and La Liga matches. He also works as a coach for Quinnipiac University in Conneticuit.
Pavel Srnicek
Czech-born goalkeeper Srnicek made only one appearance in the team following Keegan’s departure from Newcastle United and decided to return to his native country with Banik Ostrava.
It wasn’t long before his talents were sought after once again in England, and he brought his abilities to Sheffield Wednesday as they battled to stay in the Premiership. He was released at the end of his contract in Yorkshire after two seasons, and then spent three years in Italy, two campaigns with Brescia and a single season with AS Cosenza.
Towards the end of Srnicek’s professional career he became a useful back-up option for several Premiership clubs who found a way to use his experience and help act as a mentor to young goalkeepers. His second return to England began at Portsmouth, and then in a loan spell with West Ham. His move to Upton Park was later made permanent, but playing only two games with the Hammers in 2004 he moved to Portugal and signed for Beira Mar.
There was some symmetry to Srnicek’s career as the goalkeeper made a surprise return to Newcastle in 2006. Following the appointment of Sam Allardyce, a year later, he was told that his contract would not be renewed. Since retiring from the game, Srnicek has opened his own school of goalkeeping in the Czech Republic and has been involved with a number of native charity organizations.
John Beresford
Defender Beresford stuck around at St James’ Park until 1998, and was in the team defeated by Arsenal in the 97-98 FA Cup Final. From there he moved to Southampton, and in a two-year spell of Premiership football he played seventeen games for the club. Beresford chose to make 1999-2000 his final season in football, but ended his career with an unsatisfactory spell a Birmingham in which he played just a solitary game.
Since retiring from the game Beresford has had several jobs in the media and currently works for ESPN and ITV Tyne Tees mainly covering the events at his former club in the North East.
Warren Barton
Barton, often overlooked under Keegan and then Kenny Dalglish, became more of a regular in the Newcastle team following full-back Steve Watson’s move to Aston Villa in 2000. He was able to establish himself as the St James’ Park starting right-back until 2001-2 when he lost his place and was unable to gain it back under Bobby Robson.
He made just five appearances in black and white during that season before making a move to the Midlands with Derby County.
Sadly for Barton he was part of the County side relegated from the Premiership in his first season at Pride Park, and following the dismissal of John Gregory at the end of a dismal campaign in Division One, Barton did not feature in the first team picture.
Seeking to continue his career past the age of 30, Barton moved further south to Loftus Road by joining QPR. His career with the hoops lasted just four short months, and choosing to leave that specific part of West London he returned to former club Wimbledon.
Much had changed with the Dons since his last stint, and going through the re-branding process and continuing to push for a move to Milton Keynes, Barton spent much of his time offering experience to players in a struggling team. His final club was Dagenham and Redbridge, but playing just two games for the Daggers he decided to hang up his boots at the end of the season.
With his playing days over, Barton has had the opportunity to try his hand at several different careers. He runs a travel agency, and was also part of the ITV coverage team at the 2006 World Cup. Barton’s current roles are with the Fox Soccer Channel, whom he does pundity for, and whilst still involved in football the former defender is president and head coach of San Diego Flash FC.
Darren Peacock
Keegan’s departure didn’t prevent Peacock from playing a major role in Newcastle United’s on-field successes under Dalglish. However, injuries curtailed the Scotsman’s career at Newcastle, and were large part of the reason behind the Magpies decision to sell the defender to Blackburn Rovers in 1998.
His troubles continued in Lancashire and after a stop-start career at Ewood Park he was loaned out to West Ham United and Wolves in 2000 to attempt to regain his fitness.
First-team football at both clubs was difficult to come by with both sides, and during his spell at Molyneux he suffered a serious injury after a clash with a goalkeeper which eventually ended his career. Coming close to paralysis after the collision, Peacock retired from football age 32 in December 2000.
Steve Howey
Popular central defender Howey remained with the club until 2000 when he decided it was time to move on to pastures new after an eleven year stay on Tyneside. Howey’s next stop was with Manchester City whom he played just less than 100 games for.
In 2003 he spent a one-year spell with Leicester City but in the final season of his career he had short but unfulfilling stints at Bolton, New England Revolution and Hartlepool United.
The defender was not long away from the professional game, and attempted to turn his hand to managing and stepped in to the coach’s job at Crook Town a year later. Taking the helm at the club in 2006 he lasted just two months after a run of poor results.
Not allowing himself to be affected by issues in his first management role, Peacock had a spell as youth team coach at Middlesbrough before making a playing return with Bishop Auckland where he also served as a coach. Currently much of Howey’s football work is in the media, he co-presents ‘Total Sport’ on BBC Newcastle with Marco Gabbiadini and Simon Pryde.
Marc Hottiger
The Swiss international spent just a season at St James’ Park, and was sold by Kenny Dalglish to Everton in 1995. Hottiger spent two seasons on Merseyside playing just seventeen times after arriving for £750,000. Blues boss Howard Kendall made a decision to allow the defender to leave and re-join former club Lausanne Sports of Switzerland for fee of just £25,000.
Back in his native country Hottiger played two seasons in Lausanne before joining FC Sion. Two seasons in 1999 when his contract expired the defender decided to retire from the game and has had little or no involvement in the professional game since.
Steve Watson
Watson remained an integral part of the Newcastle United squad until, much to the fans surprise, he was sold. Joining Aston Villa at the turn of the millennium, the Birmingham club used Watson’s versatility to their advantage, something which was detrimental to the player fulfilling his potential.
A summer later, Watson moved on to Everton where he found himself playing as a striker before returning to defence when Walter Smith’s side became decimated by injury. He began to struggle with injuries, and after five years on Merseyside West Brom brought him back to the Midlands signing him on a free transfer.
Injuries began to catch up with Watson as his career moved on, and to gain first team football he was sent to Sheffield Wednesday on loan until the end of the 2006-7 season. Brian Laws decided to sign the utility man permanently after impressing on loan, and he in 2008 he succeeded Lee Bullen as club captain. With injuries restricting him to only a handful of appearances in the first team during his second season at Hillsborough, Watson decided to retire from football at the age of 34.
His absence from the game was brief, however as in November 2010 Watson was appointed as development coach at Huddersfield Town.
Robbie Elliott
The end of Kevin Keegan’s tenure at St James’ Park brought an end to Elliot’s time with his boyhood club, as new boss Kenny Dalglish accepted a bid from Bolton of around £2.5m.
Things began badly for the defender at the Reebok Stadium as on his debut Elliot landed awkwardly and suffered a double fracture to his leg and missed the rest of the campaign. He was to return in 1998 and played a huge role as Bolton made the Division One playoff final. Losing to Watford, Elliott was much touted for a return to the Premiership, but decided to stick with the north-western club.
His decision to remain loyal paid dividends in 2001 when Bolton won the playoff final against Preston North End and made a return to the Premiership. Two days after success at Wembley, Elliott’s contract expired at Bolton and surprisingly he sealed a return to Newcastle on a Bosman when Wanderers failed to match the Magpies offer.
Back at St James’ Park he was initially used as a back-up player in Bobby Robson’s squad but saw his opportunities limited in the following two campaigns as Newcastle made the Champions League. In 2006 he was released by the Geordies, and signed for their bitter rivals Sunderland after a successful trial.
The deal was initially on a month-by-month basis, but impressive performances persuaded the Mackems to extend his contract. Once again a place in the first team was hard to come back, and Elliott chose to move to Leeds United and then Hartlepool to find first team career before ending his playing career in 2008.
After his playing days were over, Elliott went back to Newcastle for a third spell, this time as the club’s new fitness and conditioning coach. He spent just over a year in his new role before turmoil at the club regarding the ownership convinced him to leave his position.
He continues to be involved in football to this day, currently working as strength coach for the United States U20’s team.
Phillipe Albert
The Belgian international defender became famous on Tyneside for his goal in the 5-0 rout of Manchester United, but he actually remained at the club long after the Keegan-era on Tyneside.
Part of the squad going into the 1998-9 season, Albert was loaned out to Fulham to gain some playing time and he helped the Cottagers, managed by former boss Keegan, to gain promotion to the First Division.
At the end of the season, Albert decided to return to Belgium with his first club Charleroi, but lasted just a single campaign before deciding to retire from football.
Albert currently works as a pundit for Belgian TV and owns a successful fruit and vegetable company in his homeland.
David Batty
The combative midfielder helped Newcastle to another second place finish after the man who brought him to the club surprisingly left, but it wasn’t long before the arrival of Ruud Gullit saw Newcastle rebuilding their team once again.
Batty joined an impressive and youthful Leeds United side under David O’Leary, but injuries prevented him from assisting the club in his first two seasons back in Yorkshire.
Returning to the team in 2001, Batty helped United to the semi-finals of both the UEFA Cup and the Champions League before finding himself out of favour as United slipped down the pecking order in English football.
In 2004 he took the decision to retire from the game, and has since had very little involvement with football.
Ruel Fox
Facing a fight for his first team place thanks to the arrival of David Ginola at Newcastle, Fox was signed by Tottenham during 1995/6 in a deal worth £4.25m.
He found it difficult to settle at White Hart Lane but eventually became a fans favourite before injuries took their toll on his performances.
Fox was loaned to West Brom in 2000, and later the same season joined the Baggies on a permanent deal.
He helped the Midlands side win promotion in 2001-2 before being released at the end of the season, and selecting to retire from playing professionally. In 2004 he returned to the game briefly to play and manage the Montserrat national team in a series of friendlies.
Currently his involvement in football comes at Whitton United where he coached the team before leaving to pursue other interests. He is currently chairman at the Ipswich-based club and also runs a restaurant in the local area.
Rob Lee
The midfielder continued to be a favourite at Newcastle after the departure of Keegan, but after Kenny Dalglish left the club his appearances at the club became few and far between. He failed to get on with manager Ruud Gullit who even went as far as not giving the midfielder a squad number.
When Bobby Robson took over as coach, Lee played an important part in re-establishing Newcastle as one of the top sides in the country, but in 2002, unhappy at the length of time it took the club to offer him a contract, he handed in a transfer request and was moved to Derby for around £250k.
After a short spell at Pride Park in which he experienced the humiliation of relegation, he moved on to West Ham before season long spells at Oldham and Wycombe.
In 2006 he tried to get involved in football management and applied for vacant position at League Two Bournemouth. Currently, he works for Singapore’s Football Channel and is also a commentator for Ten Sports UEFA Champions League coverage.
Lee Clark
Surplus to requirements with Newcastle under the new management regime, Clark moved across the North East to the Magpies great rivals Sunderland in 1997. Despite the unexpected transfer, Clark helped the Mackems succeed where their near neighbours had also been triumphed. In his first campaign Sunderland made the playoff finals, only denied Premiership football by an epic penalty shootout defeat against Charlton.
Helping the club re-build he and Sunderland earned promotion to the Premiership scoring a record amount of points. After the huge high of reaching the top flight, Clark then suffered a huge embarrassment. Watching Newcastle in the 1999 FA Cup Final, Clark was pictured amongst the fans of his former club wearing a derogatory t-shirt aimed at his current employers.
Sunderland reacted by dropping him for the team and announcing that he would never play for the club again.
With bridges burned in the north-east, Clark moved to Division One side Fulham in 1999. Completing a successful hat trick of promotions, Clark collected another title medal in West London under the management of former boss Kevin Keegan.
A consistent performer at Craven Cottage, Clark was part of the Fulham team which finished 9th under Chris Coleman in 2004, and when his contract expired in 2005 he had played almost 150 games for the team.
Despite being club captain during the 2004-5 season, Clark was allowed to leave Fulham, and join former club Newcastle as a player coach. He appeared in his final professional game in May 2006 before taking the decision to retire from playing professionally. Continuing his involvement with Newcastle United, Clark was reserve team manager and then first team coach under Glenn Roeder, but when Roeder left the club and was appointed as manager of Norwich City, Clark followed him and became his assistant at the East Anglian side.
Remaining as an assistant manager until 2008, Clark made no secret of his ambition to be a number one. An opportunity to manage came up at Huddersfield Town, which Clark decided to accept late in December of 2008. Helping the club to 9th in his first season, Huddersfield made the playoffs the following year but were beaten by Millwall in the semi finals.
In 2010, Clark was linked with the vacant role at Craven Cottage following Roy Hodgson’s move to Liverpool, but deciding to stay with in West Yorkshire his team currently sit in one of two automatic promotion slots to the Championship.
Scott Sellars
Sellars found himself surplus to requirements when Keegan departed, and moved on from Newcastle to Bolton Wanderers in 1995. He had four successful years on the northwest as the Trotters won the Division One title in 1997 and re-established themselves as a Premiership side.
In 1999, Sellars decided to move to Huddersfield Town of Division One, and although he remained in West Yorkshire for two years injuries played their part in denying him a consistent run in the team. In 2001 when his contract expired, the midfielder earned a move to Denmark with AGF Aarhus in April 2001. Injuries continued to plague his career, and he remained in Scandinavia just five month before returned to England with Mansfield Town.
He began as a regular with the Stags but soon became a peripheral figure in the team, which allowed him to concentrate on becoming involved in coaching and working with the youth team.
Retiring from playing in 2003, Sellars carried on working in football as a coach and spent a five-year spent five years working as an assistant manager with Chesterfield Town.
Most recently Sellars was hired by Manchester City to work with the club’s successful Under 18’s team.
Darren Huckerby
As a young player with Newcastle United, Huckerby was struggling to break into the ranks of such a successful team and during the height of Newcastle’s success, the winger made just one Premiership appearance before joining Millwall on loan.
His exit was made more permanent in 1996 when Coventry City purchased Huckerby to help them secure their place in the Premiership. Establishing a successful partnership with Dion Dublin, Huckerby scored fourteen goals in his first season and it wasn’t long before other clubs started taking a look at his talents.
Leeds United were the first to have an offer accepted for the winger, with the Elland Road outfit rumoured to have paid £6m for his services. Having to contend with Mark Viduka, Alan Smith and Michael Bridges vying for the same position as him, Huckerby found first team action a struggle to come by in his time at Leeds, and just one year after signing he was moved on to Manchester City as they attempted to avoid relegation.
Although City did succumb to the drop, Huckerby fired in 26 goals in the first division as they returned to the Premiership, but the signings of Nicolas Anelka and John Mackem once again meant that Huckerby was surplus to requirements and in order to gain first team football he moved to Nottingham Forest and then Norwich on loan.
His move to Carrow Road became a permanent one in 2003 and he was once again instrumental in helping the side to gain promotion to the Premiership. Norwich’s stay in the top flight was a brief one, but Huckerby soon became a fan favourite at Carrow Road voted as the club’s player of the tear twice and being voted into the Norwich City hall of fame by supporters in 2004.
Before the end of the 2008 season Huckerby was told that his contract would not be renewed, and he agreed a deal to play the following year for the San Jose Earthquakes in the MLS.
In his first season stateside Huckerby won the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award but injury in the 2009 season the player underwent surgery to eliminate a hip injury. Later the following year Huckerby announced that he was 99% sure of retirement and despite staying and training with the club he has yet to return to first team action.
Faustino Asprilla
Despite his inconsistency and a number of off-field incidents during Keegan’s successful season in the Premiership, Asprilla was a fan favourite on Tyneside and stayed with the club as Newcastle finished second once again and did well in the UEFA Cup.
The 1997/8 season proved to be Asprilla’s last on Tyneside but he signed off in fine style by scoring a hat trick against Barcelona in the Champions League before returning to Parma. His second spell in Italy was not as successful as the first which had earned him the initial a move to Newcastle. He lasted only one season in Serie A before moving to Brazil.
Several different clubs became home to Asprilla including Palmeiras and Fluminese in later years and despite success in other parts of South America with Universidad de Chile of Chile and Estudiantes de La Plata of Argentina, the striker decided to retire from football in 2004.
Asprilla was also involved in one of the strangest non-transfers of all time in 2002 when he was ‘signed’ by Darlington. The Columbian international was paraded in front of the northeast club’s fans but despite agreeing to a 2-year contract, Asprilla caught a flight back to South America and remained there to finish off his career, giving no official explanation as to what he turned down the Quakers.
Peter Beardsley
Moving into midfield when Alan Shearer joined the club, Beardsley made a decision to leave the club that helped prolong his career in 1997. Bolton signed the former England international for a fee of £450,000 but he made just 21 appearances in a season which saw the club relegated from the Premier League.
He then went on loan to Manchester City in 1998 before being signed by former manager Keegan, then at Fulham, on a one-year contract when the club were promoted to the Premiership.
Beardsley returned to the North East when his deal in London expired as Hartlepool United signed the midfielder on a free transfer. Helping the Monkey Hangers to secure their football league status, Beardsley decided to accept a lucrative offer to play for Australian side Melbourne Knights. At the age of 38 and only two performances in the A-League, Beardsley decided to call time on a professional career, which totalled 20 years.
Les Ferdinand
Scoring an incredible 50 goals in 84 games on Tyneside forming a successful partnership with Alan Shearer, it was a surprise when Newcastle decided to sell striker Ferdinand to Tottenham Hotspur for £6m in 1997. Injuries severely hampered ‘Sir Les’’ performances at White Hart Lane and scoring just 12 goals in his first three seasons, the striker left the club in 2002 to join West Ham United.
He was unable to prevent his new club avoid relegation and opted to remain in the Premiership when the Hammers moved into the Championship. Top flight Leicester made a move to sign the 37 year old, but once again a club he suffered the humiliation of relegation. Scoring 14 goals for the Foxes was enough to convince Bolton to sign the player to a short-term deal for the following campaign.
Ferdinand was an option off the bench for Bolton as they strived to move up into the top half of the league but seeking first team options once again he moved on to Reading in the Championship.
Ferdinand’s final club proved to be Watford when he signed for the Hornets in 2005-6, but without playing a game for the Premiership club Ferdinand decided to retire just short of his 40th birthday.
In the same year as he left the professional game Ferdinand was awarded the MBE award for his services to football, and still involved in the game the former striker is currently on the coaching staff of former club Tottenham Hotspur.
Keith Gillespie
Newcastle United sold Gillespie in 1998 when Blackburn Rovers offered £2.3m for his services. Five seasons at Ewood Park brought consistent performances from the winger, and also saw him collect a Carling Cup winner’s medal when the club beat Spurs in the 2001 final.
Gillespie moved to Wigan on loan in 2001 when it became clear that opportunities would be limited and the following season he left Ewood Park on a permanent basis joining Leicester City. He helped the Foxes into the Premiership in the first of his two seasons with the club but when the club were relegated Gillespie decided to move on to Sheffield United.
The winger was a consistent member of the first team squad but things began to go wrong for him in 2007 when he earned the dubious honour of becoming the fastest substitute to be sent off in English football history, and the following day handed in a transfer request to club chief exec Terry Robinson.
Convinced to stay and sign a new contract, Gillespie stayed for another two years before being released on a free transfer. He joined Bradford City and former team mate Stuart McCall in 2009, but after just three appearances he moved to Irish side Glentoran later the following year.
After a one-year spell in his native country, Gillespie returned to England with Darlington for a brief spell in 2010 but then selected to return to Ireland with Longford Town who play in the League of Ireland First Division.
Malcolm Allen
Coming into the prime of his career, Allen played mostly for Keegan in the first division before the Geordie’s were able to take a step up and make the Premiership. He featured only once for the club in the top flight and due to injury was forced to retire at the age of 28 in December 1995.
Allen is a regular pundit on Welsh language channels Sgorio and Sgorio Cymru covering football alongside other former professional players. Away from the pitch, Allen was involved in an unsavoury incident during 2006 when he was given a suspended jail sentence after being charged with assault. In 2008, Allen was again in the news for the wrong reasons when he was charged with drink driving after being caught in his car ten times over the legal limit.
Paul Kitson
After the signing of Ferdinand and Shearer, opportunities to start for Newcastle became very limited for Kitson and he decided it was time leave the club. West Ham agreed to sign the striker and at Upton Park he formed a successful partnership with John Hartson as the East London side reached the UEFA Cup.
His first season was by far the greatest success and after scoring no goals in the 1999-2000 campaign, he was farmed out to Charlton Athletic and then Crystal Palace to re-find his form. When his contract expired in 2002 Kitson moved down the leagues to get first team football and chose to join Brighton and Hove Albion to do so.
Performing in just a handful of games on the south coast he stepped further down the ladder to join Rushden and Diamonds in 2003, and despite a successful campaign in which the club finished mid-table, Kitson was released and spent the 2004-5 season out of the game.
Training on his own to regain fitness, Kitson made a return to Aldershot Town, but with just one appearance for the club in the 2005 season, the striker decided to call time on his professional club career.
In an unfamiliar position the Magpies began to feel the pressure from champions Manchester United who sought to retain their title and in the most famous of all managerial rants, Kevin Keegan announced that he would ‘love it’ if his side could overhaul United and win the Premiership title. Sadly it wasn’t to be for Newcastle as a goal from Eric Cantona in the late season game between the two clubs seemed to swing the championship in the reds favour and eventually the trophy returned to Old Trafford.
Forced to settle for second place, Newcastle went again the following season and managed to make the UEFA Cup quarter final in 1996 and finished second in the Premiership once more.
Despite two successful seasons in charge, Keegan made a shock decision to resign as the club’s manager in January 1997 causing heartache and confusion amongst the fans. Many felt that his decision had been brewing since the club threw away the title the previous season, but Newcastle had to accept that their spiritual leader had left and carried on rebuilding with Kenny Dalglish in charge.
Keegan made a surprise return to the club as manager in 2008, eleven years since leaving the club first time around. He was unable to recapture the spirit of the previous season’s title challenges and after just 232 days in charge he resigned once more sitting ‘an inability to take full control of the team due to interference from Mike Ashley.’
He still remains a huge hero to Newcastle faithful and despite not winning the title Newcastle’s spell with Keegan in charge will always be remembered by their supporters. What happened to the players from the Keegan team?
Steve Harper
As a young goalkeeper at the club Steve Harper spent the 1995/6 season on loan in a bid to gain first team experience. The stopper’s first spell was at Bradford City, but after failing to make an impact he returned to Newcastle before joining Gateshead in a similar deal.
Harper is the only player to have been at the club during both of Keegan’s spells, but despite his status as the club’s current longest serving player Harper only became the first choice goalkeeper at United in 2008 when Shay Given joined Manchester City. The thirty-five year old helped his side regain promotion from the Championship in 2009/10 and is currently keeping goal for the Magpies as they strive to re-establish themselves in the top flight.
Shaka Hislop
Hislop suffered an injury during the 1995/6 campaign which saw him miss much of the title run-in. As Newcastle continued to perform well in his absence, Hislop became a frustrated sub, and was largely forced to watch from the bench as Newcastle threw away their huge lead at the top of the table.
When he replaced Keegan, new boss Kenny Dalglish brought in Shay Given as his number one choice goalkeeper, and eventually Hislop’s contract expired without the club offering him a new deal. Harry Redknapp snapped up the Trinidad and Tobago international, bringing him to East London as part of the West Ham United set-up. As the Hammers improved into a top ten Premiership club under Redknapp, Hislop spent much of his time battling for the number one spot with David James.
Despite Redknapp’s departure several years later, Hislop continued to be a West Ham player, and it was only when his former boss, then manager at Portsmouth, came calling that he departed Upton Park. In his first campaign on the South Coast he helped Pompey gain promotion to the Premier League. His stay on the south Coast lasted three years before Hislop chose to return to Upton Park, this time under Alan Pardew. He played in the 2006 FA Cup final which the Hammers lost on penalties, and during the summer of the same year he represented his national team at the World Cup in Germany.
In his final season as a footballer, the goalkeeper played for FC Dallas in the MLS and at the age of 39 he decided to hang up his boots.
Currently Hislop is employed by satellite broadcaster ESPN to provide commentary on Serie A and La Liga matches. He also works as a coach for Quinnipiac University in Conneticuit.
Pavel Srnicek
Czech-born goalkeeper Srnicek made only one appearance in the team following Keegan’s departure from Newcastle United and decided to return to his native country with Banik Ostrava.
It wasn’t long before his talents were sought after once again in England, and he brought his abilities to Sheffield Wednesday as they battled to stay in the Premiership. He was released at the end of his contract in Yorkshire after two seasons, and then spent three years in Italy, two campaigns with Brescia and a single season with AS Cosenza.
Towards the end of Srnicek’s professional career he became a useful back-up option for several Premiership clubs who found a way to use his experience and help act as a mentor to young goalkeepers. His second return to England began at Portsmouth, and then in a loan spell with West Ham. His move to Upton Park was later made permanent, but playing only two games with the Hammers in 2004 he moved to Portugal and signed for Beira Mar.
There was some symmetry to Srnicek’s career as the goalkeeper made a surprise return to Newcastle in 2006. Following the appointment of Sam Allardyce, a year later, he was told that his contract would not be renewed. Since retiring from the game, Srnicek has opened his own school of goalkeeping in the Czech Republic and has been involved with a number of native charity organizations.
John Beresford
Defender Beresford stuck around at St James’ Park until 1998, and was in the team defeated by Arsenal in the 97-98 FA Cup Final. From there he moved to Southampton, and in a two-year spell of Premiership football he played seventeen games for the club. Beresford chose to make 1999-2000 his final season in football, but ended his career with an unsatisfactory spell a Birmingham in which he played just a solitary game.
Since retiring from the game Beresford has had several jobs in the media and currently works for ESPN and ITV Tyne Tees mainly covering the events at his former club in the North East.
Warren Barton
Barton, often overlooked under Keegan and then Kenny Dalglish, became more of a regular in the Newcastle team following full-back Steve Watson’s move to Aston Villa in 2000. He was able to establish himself as the St James’ Park starting right-back until 2001-2 when he lost his place and was unable to gain it back under Bobby Robson.
He made just five appearances in black and white during that season before making a move to the Midlands with Derby County.
Sadly for Barton he was part of the County side relegated from the Premiership in his first season at Pride Park, and following the dismissal of John Gregory at the end of a dismal campaign in Division One, Barton did not feature in the first team picture.
Seeking to continue his career past the age of 30, Barton moved further south to Loftus Road by joining QPR. His career with the hoops lasted just four short months, and choosing to leave that specific part of West London he returned to former club Wimbledon.
Much had changed with the Dons since his last stint, and going through the re-branding process and continuing to push for a move to Milton Keynes, Barton spent much of his time offering experience to players in a struggling team. His final club was Dagenham and Redbridge, but playing just two games for the Daggers he decided to hang up his boots at the end of the season.
With his playing days over, Barton has had the opportunity to try his hand at several different careers. He runs a travel agency, and was also part of the ITV coverage team at the 2006 World Cup. Barton’s current roles are with the Fox Soccer Channel, whom he does pundity for, and whilst still involved in football the former defender is president and head coach of San Diego Flash FC.
Darren Peacock
Keegan’s departure didn’t prevent Peacock from playing a major role in Newcastle United’s on-field successes under Dalglish. However, injuries curtailed the Scotsman’s career at Newcastle, and were large part of the reason behind the Magpies decision to sell the defender to Blackburn Rovers in 1998.
His troubles continued in Lancashire and after a stop-start career at Ewood Park he was loaned out to West Ham United and Wolves in 2000 to attempt to regain his fitness.
First-team football at both clubs was difficult to come by with both sides, and during his spell at Molyneux he suffered a serious injury after a clash with a goalkeeper which eventually ended his career. Coming close to paralysis after the collision, Peacock retired from football age 32 in December 2000.
Steve Howey
Popular central defender Howey remained with the club until 2000 when he decided it was time to move on to pastures new after an eleven year stay on Tyneside. Howey’s next stop was with Manchester City whom he played just less than 100 games for.
In 2003 he spent a one-year spell with Leicester City but in the final season of his career he had short but unfulfilling stints at Bolton, New England Revolution and Hartlepool United.
The defender was not long away from the professional game, and attempted to turn his hand to managing and stepped in to the coach’s job at Crook Town a year later. Taking the helm at the club in 2006 he lasted just two months after a run of poor results.
Not allowing himself to be affected by issues in his first management role, Peacock had a spell as youth team coach at Middlesbrough before making a playing return with Bishop Auckland where he also served as a coach. Currently much of Howey’s football work is in the media, he co-presents ‘Total Sport’ on BBC Newcastle with Marco Gabbiadini and Simon Pryde.
Marc Hottiger
The Swiss international spent just a season at St James’ Park, and was sold by Kenny Dalglish to Everton in 1995. Hottiger spent two seasons on Merseyside playing just seventeen times after arriving for £750,000. Blues boss Howard Kendall made a decision to allow the defender to leave and re-join former club Lausanne Sports of Switzerland for fee of just £25,000.
Back in his native country Hottiger played two seasons in Lausanne before joining FC Sion. Two seasons in 1999 when his contract expired the defender decided to retire from the game and has had little or no involvement in the professional game since.
Steve Watson
Watson remained an integral part of the Newcastle United squad until, much to the fans surprise, he was sold. Joining Aston Villa at the turn of the millennium, the Birmingham club used Watson’s versatility to their advantage, something which was detrimental to the player fulfilling his potential.
A summer later, Watson moved on to Everton where he found himself playing as a striker before returning to defence when Walter Smith’s side became decimated by injury. He began to struggle with injuries, and after five years on Merseyside West Brom brought him back to the Midlands signing him on a free transfer.
Injuries began to catch up with Watson as his career moved on, and to gain first team football he was sent to Sheffield Wednesday on loan until the end of the 2006-7 season. Brian Laws decided to sign the utility man permanently after impressing on loan, and he in 2008 he succeeded Lee Bullen as club captain. With injuries restricting him to only a handful of appearances in the first team during his second season at Hillsborough, Watson decided to retire from football at the age of 34.
His absence from the game was brief, however as in November 2010 Watson was appointed as development coach at Huddersfield Town.
Robbie Elliott
The end of Kevin Keegan’s tenure at St James’ Park brought an end to Elliot’s time with his boyhood club, as new boss Kenny Dalglish accepted a bid from Bolton of around £2.5m.
Things began badly for the defender at the Reebok Stadium as on his debut Elliot landed awkwardly and suffered a double fracture to his leg and missed the rest of the campaign. He was to return in 1998 and played a huge role as Bolton made the Division One playoff final. Losing to Watford, Elliott was much touted for a return to the Premiership, but decided to stick with the north-western club.
His decision to remain loyal paid dividends in 2001 when Bolton won the playoff final against Preston North End and made a return to the Premiership. Two days after success at Wembley, Elliott’s contract expired at Bolton and surprisingly he sealed a return to Newcastle on a Bosman when Wanderers failed to match the Magpies offer.
Back at St James’ Park he was initially used as a back-up player in Bobby Robson’s squad but saw his opportunities limited in the following two campaigns as Newcastle made the Champions League. In 2006 he was released by the Geordies, and signed for their bitter rivals Sunderland after a successful trial.
The deal was initially on a month-by-month basis, but impressive performances persuaded the Mackems to extend his contract. Once again a place in the first team was hard to come back, and Elliott chose to move to Leeds United and then Hartlepool to find first team career before ending his playing career in 2008.
After his playing days were over, Elliott went back to Newcastle for a third spell, this time as the club’s new fitness and conditioning coach. He spent just over a year in his new role before turmoil at the club regarding the ownership convinced him to leave his position.
He continues to be involved in football to this day, currently working as strength coach for the United States U20’s team.
Phillipe Albert
The Belgian international defender became famous on Tyneside for his goal in the 5-0 rout of Manchester United, but he actually remained at the club long after the Keegan-era on Tyneside.
Part of the squad going into the 1998-9 season, Albert was loaned out to Fulham to gain some playing time and he helped the Cottagers, managed by former boss Keegan, to gain promotion to the First Division.
At the end of the season, Albert decided to return to Belgium with his first club Charleroi, but lasted just a single campaign before deciding to retire from football.
Albert currently works as a pundit for Belgian TV and owns a successful fruit and vegetable company in his homeland.
David Batty
The combative midfielder helped Newcastle to another second place finish after the man who brought him to the club surprisingly left, but it wasn’t long before the arrival of Ruud Gullit saw Newcastle rebuilding their team once again.
Batty joined an impressive and youthful Leeds United side under David O’Leary, but injuries prevented him from assisting the club in his first two seasons back in Yorkshire.
Returning to the team in 2001, Batty helped United to the semi-finals of both the UEFA Cup and the Champions League before finding himself out of favour as United slipped down the pecking order in English football.
In 2004 he took the decision to retire from the game, and has since had very little involvement with football.
Ruel Fox
Facing a fight for his first team place thanks to the arrival of David Ginola at Newcastle, Fox was signed by Tottenham during 1995/6 in a deal worth £4.25m.
He found it difficult to settle at White Hart Lane but eventually became a fans favourite before injuries took their toll on his performances.
Fox was loaned to West Brom in 2000, and later the same season joined the Baggies on a permanent deal.
He helped the Midlands side win promotion in 2001-2 before being released at the end of the season, and selecting to retire from playing professionally. In 2004 he returned to the game briefly to play and manage the Montserrat national team in a series of friendlies.
Currently his involvement in football comes at Whitton United where he coached the team before leaving to pursue other interests. He is currently chairman at the Ipswich-based club and also runs a restaurant in the local area.
Rob Lee
The midfielder continued to be a favourite at Newcastle after the departure of Keegan, but after Kenny Dalglish left the club his appearances at the club became few and far between. He failed to get on with manager Ruud Gullit who even went as far as not giving the midfielder a squad number.
When Bobby Robson took over as coach, Lee played an important part in re-establishing Newcastle as one of the top sides in the country, but in 2002, unhappy at the length of time it took the club to offer him a contract, he handed in a transfer request and was moved to Derby for around £250k.
After a short spell at Pride Park in which he experienced the humiliation of relegation, he moved on to West Ham before season long spells at Oldham and Wycombe.
In 2006 he tried to get involved in football management and applied for vacant position at League Two Bournemouth. Currently, he works for Singapore’s Football Channel and is also a commentator for Ten Sports UEFA Champions League coverage.
Lee Clark
Surplus to requirements with Newcastle under the new management regime, Clark moved across the North East to the Magpies great rivals Sunderland in 1997. Despite the unexpected transfer, Clark helped the Mackems succeed where their near neighbours had also been triumphed. In his first campaign Sunderland made the playoff finals, only denied Premiership football by an epic penalty shootout defeat against Charlton.
Helping the club re-build he and Sunderland earned promotion to the Premiership scoring a record amount of points. After the huge high of reaching the top flight, Clark then suffered a huge embarrassment. Watching Newcastle in the 1999 FA Cup Final, Clark was pictured amongst the fans of his former club wearing a derogatory t-shirt aimed at his current employers.
Sunderland reacted by dropping him for the team and announcing that he would never play for the club again.
With bridges burned in the north-east, Clark moved to Division One side Fulham in 1999. Completing a successful hat trick of promotions, Clark collected another title medal in West London under the management of former boss Kevin Keegan.
A consistent performer at Craven Cottage, Clark was part of the Fulham team which finished 9th under Chris Coleman in 2004, and when his contract expired in 2005 he had played almost 150 games for the team.
Despite being club captain during the 2004-5 season, Clark was allowed to leave Fulham, and join former club Newcastle as a player coach. He appeared in his final professional game in May 2006 before taking the decision to retire from playing professionally. Continuing his involvement with Newcastle United, Clark was reserve team manager and then first team coach under Glenn Roeder, but when Roeder left the club and was appointed as manager of Norwich City, Clark followed him and became his assistant at the East Anglian side.
Remaining as an assistant manager until 2008, Clark made no secret of his ambition to be a number one. An opportunity to manage came up at Huddersfield Town, which Clark decided to accept late in December of 2008. Helping the club to 9th in his first season, Huddersfield made the playoffs the following year but were beaten by Millwall in the semi finals.
In 2010, Clark was linked with the vacant role at Craven Cottage following Roy Hodgson’s move to Liverpool, but deciding to stay with in West Yorkshire his team currently sit in one of two automatic promotion slots to the Championship.
Scott Sellars
Sellars found himself surplus to requirements when Keegan departed, and moved on from Newcastle to Bolton Wanderers in 1995. He had four successful years on the northwest as the Trotters won the Division One title in 1997 and re-established themselves as a Premiership side.
In 1999, Sellars decided to move to Huddersfield Town of Division One, and although he remained in West Yorkshire for two years injuries played their part in denying him a consistent run in the team. In 2001 when his contract expired, the midfielder earned a move to Denmark with AGF Aarhus in April 2001. Injuries continued to plague his career, and he remained in Scandinavia just five month before returned to England with Mansfield Town.
He began as a regular with the Stags but soon became a peripheral figure in the team, which allowed him to concentrate on becoming involved in coaching and working with the youth team.
Retiring from playing in 2003, Sellars carried on working in football as a coach and spent a five-year spent five years working as an assistant manager with Chesterfield Town.
Most recently Sellars was hired by Manchester City to work with the club’s successful Under 18’s team.
Darren Huckerby
As a young player with Newcastle United, Huckerby was struggling to break into the ranks of such a successful team and during the height of Newcastle’s success, the winger made just one Premiership appearance before joining Millwall on loan.
His exit was made more permanent in 1996 when Coventry City purchased Huckerby to help them secure their place in the Premiership. Establishing a successful partnership with Dion Dublin, Huckerby scored fourteen goals in his first season and it wasn’t long before other clubs started taking a look at his talents.
Leeds United were the first to have an offer accepted for the winger, with the Elland Road outfit rumoured to have paid £6m for his services. Having to contend with Mark Viduka, Alan Smith and Michael Bridges vying for the same position as him, Huckerby found first team action a struggle to come by in his time at Leeds, and just one year after signing he was moved on to Manchester City as they attempted to avoid relegation.
Although City did succumb to the drop, Huckerby fired in 26 goals in the first division as they returned to the Premiership, but the signings of Nicolas Anelka and John Mackem once again meant that Huckerby was surplus to requirements and in order to gain first team football he moved to Nottingham Forest and then Norwich on loan.
His move to Carrow Road became a permanent one in 2003 and he was once again instrumental in helping the side to gain promotion to the Premiership. Norwich’s stay in the top flight was a brief one, but Huckerby soon became a fan favourite at Carrow Road voted as the club’s player of the tear twice and being voted into the Norwich City hall of fame by supporters in 2004.
Before the end of the 2008 season Huckerby was told that his contract would not be renewed, and he agreed a deal to play the following year for the San Jose Earthquakes in the MLS.
In his first season stateside Huckerby won the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award but injury in the 2009 season the player underwent surgery to eliminate a hip injury. Later the following year Huckerby announced that he was 99% sure of retirement and despite staying and training with the club he has yet to return to first team action.
Faustino Asprilla
Despite his inconsistency and a number of off-field incidents during Keegan’s successful season in the Premiership, Asprilla was a fan favourite on Tyneside and stayed with the club as Newcastle finished second once again and did well in the UEFA Cup.
The 1997/8 season proved to be Asprilla’s last on Tyneside but he signed off in fine style by scoring a hat trick against Barcelona in the Champions League before returning to Parma. His second spell in Italy was not as successful as the first which had earned him the initial a move to Newcastle. He lasted only one season in Serie A before moving to Brazil.
Several different clubs became home to Asprilla including Palmeiras and Fluminese in later years and despite success in other parts of South America with Universidad de Chile of Chile and Estudiantes de La Plata of Argentina, the striker decided to retire from football in 2004.
Asprilla was also involved in one of the strangest non-transfers of all time in 2002 when he was ‘signed’ by Darlington. The Columbian international was paraded in front of the northeast club’s fans but despite agreeing to a 2-year contract, Asprilla caught a flight back to South America and remained there to finish off his career, giving no official explanation as to what he turned down the Quakers.
Peter Beardsley
Moving into midfield when Alan Shearer joined the club, Beardsley made a decision to leave the club that helped prolong his career in 1997. Bolton signed the former England international for a fee of £450,000 but he made just 21 appearances in a season which saw the club relegated from the Premier League.
He then went on loan to Manchester City in 1998 before being signed by former manager Keegan, then at Fulham, on a one-year contract when the club were promoted to the Premiership.
Beardsley returned to the North East when his deal in London expired as Hartlepool United signed the midfielder on a free transfer. Helping the Monkey Hangers to secure their football league status, Beardsley decided to accept a lucrative offer to play for Australian side Melbourne Knights. At the age of 38 and only two performances in the A-League, Beardsley decided to call time on a professional career, which totalled 20 years.
Les Ferdinand
Scoring an incredible 50 goals in 84 games on Tyneside forming a successful partnership with Alan Shearer, it was a surprise when Newcastle decided to sell striker Ferdinand to Tottenham Hotspur for £6m in 1997. Injuries severely hampered ‘Sir Les’’ performances at White Hart Lane and scoring just 12 goals in his first three seasons, the striker left the club in 2002 to join West Ham United.
He was unable to prevent his new club avoid relegation and opted to remain in the Premiership when the Hammers moved into the Championship. Top flight Leicester made a move to sign the 37 year old, but once again a club he suffered the humiliation of relegation. Scoring 14 goals for the Foxes was enough to convince Bolton to sign the player to a short-term deal for the following campaign.
Ferdinand was an option off the bench for Bolton as they strived to move up into the top half of the league but seeking first team options once again he moved on to Reading in the Championship.
Ferdinand’s final club proved to be Watford when he signed for the Hornets in 2005-6, but without playing a game for the Premiership club Ferdinand decided to retire just short of his 40th birthday.
In the same year as he left the professional game Ferdinand was awarded the MBE award for his services to football, and still involved in the game the former striker is currently on the coaching staff of former club Tottenham Hotspur.
Keith Gillespie
Newcastle United sold Gillespie in 1998 when Blackburn Rovers offered £2.3m for his services. Five seasons at Ewood Park brought consistent performances from the winger, and also saw him collect a Carling Cup winner’s medal when the club beat Spurs in the 2001 final.
Gillespie moved to Wigan on loan in 2001 when it became clear that opportunities would be limited and the following season he left Ewood Park on a permanent basis joining Leicester City. He helped the Foxes into the Premiership in the first of his two seasons with the club but when the club were relegated Gillespie decided to move on to Sheffield United.
The winger was a consistent member of the first team squad but things began to go wrong for him in 2007 when he earned the dubious honour of becoming the fastest substitute to be sent off in English football history, and the following day handed in a transfer request to club chief exec Terry Robinson.
Convinced to stay and sign a new contract, Gillespie stayed for another two years before being released on a free transfer. He joined Bradford City and former team mate Stuart McCall in 2009, but after just three appearances he moved to Irish side Glentoran later the following year.
After a one-year spell in his native country, Gillespie returned to England with Darlington for a brief spell in 2010 but then selected to return to Ireland with Longford Town who play in the League of Ireland First Division.
Malcolm Allen
Coming into the prime of his career, Allen played mostly for Keegan in the first division before the Geordie’s were able to take a step up and make the Premiership. He featured only once for the club in the top flight and due to injury was forced to retire at the age of 28 in December 1995.
Allen is a regular pundit on Welsh language channels Sgorio and Sgorio Cymru covering football alongside other former professional players. Away from the pitch, Allen was involved in an unsavoury incident during 2006 when he was given a suspended jail sentence after being charged with assault. In 2008, Allen was again in the news for the wrong reasons when he was charged with drink driving after being caught in his car ten times over the legal limit.
Paul Kitson
After the signing of Ferdinand and Shearer, opportunities to start for Newcastle became very limited for Kitson and he decided it was time leave the club. West Ham agreed to sign the striker and at Upton Park he formed a successful partnership with John Hartson as the East London side reached the UEFA Cup.
His first season was by far the greatest success and after scoring no goals in the 1999-2000 campaign, he was farmed out to Charlton Athletic and then Crystal Palace to re-find his form. When his contract expired in 2002 Kitson moved down the leagues to get first team football and chose to join Brighton and Hove Albion to do so.
Performing in just a handful of games on the south coast he stepped further down the ladder to join Rushden and Diamonds in 2003, and despite a successful campaign in which the club finished mid-table, Kitson was released and spent the 2004-5 season out of the game.
Training on his own to regain fitness, Kitson made a return to Aldershot Town, but with just one appearance for the club in the 2005 season, the striker decided to call time on his professional club career.