‘Never happy’ - £9m man makes honest Newcastle United transfer admission after 3-goal stint

Luque joined Graeme Souness’ Newcastle United in the summer of 2005 after impressing for Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga. The 17-cap Spanish international had netted 11 times in 36 games in his native country and was, at the time, one of Newcastle United’s most expensive signings ever when he made the move to Tyneside in August 2005.

Luque was joining a Magpies side that included both Alan Shearer and Michael Owen and it was hoped that he would add firepower, especially when Shearer would hang up his football boots at the end of that season. However, Luque would score just three times for Newcastle United with an injury just a few weeks into his Tyneside career derailing his time in the north east from the off.

Just one of those three goals would come in the Premier League - although it was a memorable one as he struck against fierce rivals Sunderland to wrap up a 4-1 win for the Magpies at the Stadium of Light. Glenn Roeder, who had taken over from Souness earlier that year, had seen his side enter the break 1-0 down, but second-half strikes from Luque, Michael Chopra, Charles N’Zogbia and Shearer, the last of his sparkling career, ensured they would emerge victorious against a hapless Black Cats side.

That goal, though, would prove to be the high point of Luque’s time at St James’ Park before he left to join Ajax in 2007. Luque would also have a spell back in his homeland at Malaga before retiring from football in 2011.

Albert Luque’s honest Newcastle United admission

Hopes for Luque’s time at Newcastle United were very high when he joined, but as the player has recently admitted in an interview, the demands of the English game were simply too much for him to adapt to: “There was a rift between Lendoiro [president of Deportivo La Coruna] and me, which is why I decided to go to Newcastle,” Luque said.

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“I will always be very grateful to Depor, the entire city, and all the Deportivo fans, but playing for Barça was a dream, and when that dream didn’t come true, Newcastle came and I went there, without even knowing where the city or the players of that team were.

“I suffered the most serious injury of my career. A difficult team; a great squad, with Alan Shearer and Michael Owen.

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“But their football was very direct, very physical, very different from Spanish football. It was hard for me to adapt. I was never happy there, and I don’t really remember that time, in terms of sports, with any particular fondness.”

After hanging up his boots, Luque, now 47, worked at the RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation). First, he acted as an advisor before being promoted to its sporting director.

Luque may not look back fondly on his time at Newcastle United, but for the last two decades his name has been sung in the stands and undoubtedly will make an appearance again this season in the Tyne-Wear derby matches.

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