'My home' - Newcastle United fan favourite makes surprise appearance at iconic city-centre location

If not a ‘Sheep before Shearers’, it’s a former Newcastle United winger seemingly busking at the iconic city centre location.

Jonas Gutierrez, who played over 200 games for The Magpies between 2008 and 2015, is back on Tyneside and was filmed sitting and playing the guitar next to Grey’s Monument in the heart of the city.

You’ve probably heard people singing at that location many times over the years. It was such an inconspicuous thing for Gutierrez to do that most passersby hardly seemed to notice. But the footage of the former winger has been getting plenty of love on social media.

Jonas Gutierrez back ‘home’ in Newcastle

Guiterrez posted the video of himself signing and playing the guitar onto his Instagram page with the caption: “My City , my home. I am a Geordie, I love this city, I love this people. Thanks for everthing @nufc a dream come true playing guitar at the monument.”

The original post was liked by almost 6,000 users at the time of writing and shared across social media - capturing the imagination of Newcastle supporters.

One fan replied to Guitierrez’s post stating: “Too many young fans walking past you and not realising the legend that you are ❤️.”

But the Argentinian’s performance was perhaps so unexpected that he was able to blend in to his Newcastle surroundings, like any true Geordie would.

Another fan admitted: “I’d recognise him but not at Monument playing a guitar. I would say ‘that busker looks a lot like Gutierrez’ 😂.”

Jonas Gutierrez’s impact at NUFC

Gutierrez left Newcastle with a cult hero, fan favourite status amongst supporters. The now 41-year-old joined Newcastle from Real Mallorca in 2008 and was known for his ‘Spiderman’ celebration and nickname.

Despite suffering relegation in his first season at Newcastle, Gutierrez played a key role in helping the side win the Championship the following season.

He then helped Newcastle finish fifth in the Premier League and qualify for the Europa League.

But perhaps his greatest moment in a Newcastle shirt came after a long period of adversity after he’d been frozen out of the side, loaned out to Norwich City and diagnosed with testicular cancer. Gutierrez made a full recovery and was able to help Newcastle in their battle against relegation at the back end of the 2014-15 season.

The winger grabbed a goal and an assist to help Newcastle beat West Ham United on the final day of the season to secure their Premier League status. The match would prove to be his last for the club as he was released weeks later.

Gutierrez spent a season at Deportivo La Coruña in Spain after joining on a free transfer before returning to Argentina. He retired from playing in 2021 following a spell at Almagro.

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