Former Newcastle United defender Jonathan Woodgate has admitted he was reduced to tears ahead of his move to the club from Leeds United.
Jonathan Woodgate said: “I was crying leaving the training ground because I didn’t want to go — I was absolutely devastated. Not because Newcastle wasn’t a top club. It is; they had players like Alan Shearer, Gary Speed, Laurent Robert, Kieron Dyer, Craig Bellamy and Jermaine Jenas. Sir Bobby Robson was manager, but I was happy at Leeds. I loved the club, and it was like a family to me. They said, ‘You have to go, otherwise the club’s f***ed, basically,’ and could go into liquidation.”