‘I never should have left Barcelona for Newcastle – I blame Alan Shearer’

Newcastle icon Alan Shearer has been blamed for why one major signing from Barcelona never managed to maintain his success at St. James’

Newcastle welcome Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday in what promises to be a poignant occasion for one former Magpies star in particular. Yet Patrick Kluivert may struggle to cheer on Eddie Howe‘s side given his spell at St. James’ Park proved so disappointing.

The Dutch legend joined the Tyneside giants on a free transfer in 2004 carrying significant expectations following his triumphs at the Camp Nou. The 49-year-old clinched La Liga with Barca during his six-year spell in Catalonia, which crossed over the most productive chapter of his distinguished international career with the Netherlands.

His north-east adventure lasted just one season, though, as he headed back to Spain with Valencia in 2005. And Kluivert pointed the finger at one particular Newcastle icon for why his stint at the club failed to meet expectations.

“There is only one man responsible for the fact that I did not become a big hit in Newcastle, his name is Alan Shearer,” Kluivert told Voetbal International in 2005. “The man is God in the North.

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“I think Shearer is a fantastic footballer, but [then-manager Graeme] Souness should have played [Craig] Bellamy and me together all the time. We formed the ideal partnership, Souness should have preferred both of us above Shearer.”

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In Souness’ defence, Bellamy developed his own successful partnership with Shearer across three-and-a-half seasons at Newcastle, initially under the late Sir Bobby Robson. Nevertheless, the Welshman clashed with his manager and was ultimately transferred in January 2005, first joining Celtic on loan.

Kluivert found the net 13 times in 37 outings for Newcastle, averaging roughly one goal every three matches. That fell short of his scoring record at Barcelona, where he converted 122 times in 257 appearances, while also recording 61 assists.

That works out at approximately 0.71 direct goal contributions per game for Barca, versus an average of just 0.41 per game for the Magpies. It’s understandable why Newcastle supporters might have felt let down by their marquee signing, though Kluivert believed Shearer’s untouchable status proved problematic.

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He went on: “I know Bellamy felt the same but that did not make a difference. Every week it was Shearer and Kluivert or Shearer and Bellamy.

“Newcastle United Football Club is all about Alan Shearer, it is as simple as that. Nobody can beat him, nobody can touch him and nobody can do anything about it.”

Those remarks stand in sharp contrast to Kluivert’s remarks upon signing for Newcastle on a free transfer. He said at the time he was excited about playing alongside Shearer before the reality of what that involved became apparent.

Two of his former teams will clash in the first leg of their last-16 encounter on Tuesday, in what is set to be a stern test for Howe’s side. Barca currently sit atop La Liga, while Newcastle are 12th in the Premier League and have suffered three defeats in their last five matches.

The Champions League represents Newcastle’s last opportunity to clinch silverware this season, having been ousted from the FA Cup by Manchester City. Captain Bruno Guimaraes and defender Fabian Schar are the notable absentees for the hosts, whilst Barca will be missing Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde and former Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen at the very least.