32-Year-Old Admits He Wishes he Could have Stayed at Newcastle for longer now

A former Newcastle United player has admitted that he wishes he could have stayed at the club three years after leaving.

With Newcastle on such a roll, thanks to a positive approach from the owners and a superb coach in Eddie Howe, one wonders which players could have had a different career on Tyneside.

Florian Lejeune told Le Figaro that he would have like to stay at Newcastle, but injuries stopped him from making a significant impact in the Premier League.

Lejeune had the potential to be a star at Newcastle

Lejeune, who was signed by Rafa Benitez in Newcastle’s first season back in the top flight, was an excellent ball carrier and a valuable addition to Newcastle’s defence that season.

However, things began to go wrong for the Frenchman, who sustained an ACL tear in his right knee during his second season, and when he healed, he tore it again in his left knee three months later.

That effectively ended Lejeune’s chances of having a successful career in the North East, and it was a dreadful way to conclude his time in a black and white shirt, especially given the euphoria around his signing.

He will, however, be remembered in Newcastle folklore for some time due to his two stoppage time goals against Everton in 2020, which helped Newcastle earn a point.

It could have been so different for Lejeune at Newcastle

Fabian Schar was in a similar scenario to Lejeune, a centre-back who was good on the ball but was left in the shadows during Steve Bruce’s tenure, which did not favour the Swiss international.

Schar has now been given the opportunity to flourish under Howe, and he has quickly become one of the Premier League’s most underappreciated defenders late in his career.

It makes you question which players may have had very different careers at Newcastle if they had arrived just a few years later, particularly Lejeuene, who is currently a regular in Rayo Vallecano’s squad.

It would have been nice to see Lejeune reach his full potential at Newcastle, but the experienced defender is now well and healthy at his new club and can enjoy his play in a less physically demanding league.