Newcastle United

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It is time for the second part of former Newcastle defender Steve Howey's countdown of the best centre-backs to represent the Magpies over the past 50 years.

Coming in at three is Darren Peacock. Over four seasons, he amassed 176 appearances and helped the Magpies to consecutive runner-up finishes.

"He was a defender's defender," said Howey, who played alongside Peacock. "He'd be criticised, of course, because we conceded goals, but that's just how we played. It is difficult to mark three or four players."

At number two, Howey chose himself.

A product of Newcastle's youth academy, he became a key figure during the club's rise under Kevin Keegan in the 1990s. Howey made nearly 240 appearances for the Magpies and was instrumental in their promotion to the Premier League in 1993.

"Sometimes you have to back yourself, and I am going to shove myself in there," he said.

"From somebody who wasn't a defender, to become a defender, in one on ones I wasn't too bad, and I did like to bring the ball out. I could pass."

Listen to Howey's selections here

Or come back later on Thursday to discover who Howey considers the best centre-back to play for Newcastle United.

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Throughout Thursday, we will be revealing the centre-backs former Magpies legend Steve Howey considers to be the best over the club's past 50 years.

At number five, he chose Fabricio Coloccini, who became a stalwart for Newcastle during his eight seasons. Coloccini made nearly 275 appearances after signing for around £10 million from Deportivo la Coruna.

"A good footballer - a good defender," Howey told BBC Radio Newcastle. "He could defend when he had to defend, but he was very good on the ball as well. Someone who wasn't very tall but good in the air."

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In fourth, Howey chose Philippe Albert who made the leap to Newcastle in 1994 under the tutelage of Kevin Keegan and made 96 Premier League appearances, scoring eight goals, including that chip against Manchester United in 1996.

"Philippe was a very good footballer, probably not the most gifted defender, but a wonderful player," Howey said.

"He got that iconic goal against Manchester United, but as an all-around player who happened to play at the back, I am going with Phil.

"He had a wonderful left foot and was a great lad."

Come back later on Thursday to see the next two players on Howey's list.

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Newcastle are aiming to tie up a deal for Burnley's English goalkeeper James Trafford, 22, as early as next week and remain in talks with Nottingham Forest for Swedish winger Anthony Elanga, 23. (i paper), external

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Newcastle are exploring a move for 26-year-old Marseille and Argentina centre-back Leonardo Balerdi, who is also of interest to Juventus. (Mail - subscription required), external

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Charlotte Robson
Fan writer

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I have been a Newcastle fan for too long to get caught up in transfer rumours.

For years we experienced transfer droughts. When we were taken over in October 2021, I briefly flirted with the idea that we might actually make exciting signings year in, year out. But Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules soon put paid to that fanciful thought.

I am not saying we have not made exciting signings, and we were certainly spoiled in the first window post-takeover, but the past three windows have left a lot to be desired.

We are frequently linked with players who ultimately do not come to Newcastle - be it Marc Guehi last summer, who stayed at Crystal Palace, or Joao Pedro this summer, who looks to be going to Chelsea instead. Why not us, Joao? Why not the beautiful North East?

Many people - fans and pundits - try to understand why players are not coming to us.

I am of the opinion it usually comes down to money. It is not that the North East is too far. Too far from what? If London, it is 40 minutes on a plane or less than three hours on a train.

If players want a happy and wholesome home life, this is the city for them. The countryside is beautiful and, if you play well, fans will revere you like nowhere else.

It is difficult as a fan to be whipped back and forth from name to name - only to be disappointed. It is especially difficult in the context of next season when we have Champions League football to prepare for.

Eddie Howe made a pointed statement to the media in May that recruitment has not been good enough in the past few windows and we must make amends for that this summer.

I only hope July bears more fruit or the manager and fans will be very frustrated.

Find more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external

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Newcastle have unveiled their third kit for the upcoming 2025-26 season - and it's a modern take on their 1997-98 equivalent.

Chief commercial officer Peter Silverstone called it "a powerful blend of past and present" and "a bold design that reflects both our proud history and the exciting journey ahead".

The Magpies will debut the strip in their pre-season friendly against Scottish Premiership champions Celtic on 19 July.

What do you make of it?

Choose your verdict here

West Ham would be open to offers of about £60m for 24-year-old Ghana forward Mohammed Kudus, who has attracted interest from Newcastle, Chelsea and Manchester United. (Guardian), external

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Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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Our chief football writer Phil McNulty has been taking your questions.

Ken asked: Why do we (Newcastle United) seem to be struggling to get deals done? Eddie Howe said he wanted business done early but we haven't been able to attract our top targets. It's a little bit of a worry.

McNulty replied: It has been frustrating as I was at Newcastle on the last day of the season when Eddie Howe said it was imperative business was done quickly. But this has not happened.

It is not as if they have not been trying, but they have been unable to agree deals and now it looks like Joao Pedro, a prime target, is off to Chelsea.

I think this was always a fear behind the scenes at Newcastle, with the attraction of London and extending the ex-Brighton clan of Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo and Robert Sanchez.

Still plenty of time to bring in new faces – but there is no escaping the fact it has all been very frustrating for Newcastle and Howe so far.

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

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Despite the enormous resources of their Saudi owners, Newcastle's ambitions have been hamstrung by profit and sustainability regulations.

Their only signing so far this summer has been 18-year-old winger Antonio Cordero, who has joined on a free after spending last season in the Spanish second tier with Malaga.

Qualification for the Champions League means there is a little more room in the Magpies finances, which is just as well since new blood is needed to cope with the increased workload.

Last season, Newcastle used just 24 players in the Premier League, the joint second lowest total in the top flight. When they last competed in Europe in 2023-24, injuries and fatigue eventually caught up with them and a run of six defeats in seven league games over the winter torpedoed their season.

With Sven Botman only able to start 21 top-flight matches in the past two years, a new centre-back may be a priority. Last summer, Crystal Palace rebuffed a move move for Marc Guehi, but he is entering the final 12 months of his contract so could be available for a sensible price.

If they are beaten to the punch by Liverpool, Atalanta's 21-year-old Giorgio Scalvini has been mooted as an alternative. The 6ft 4in tall Italy international is highly rated but has barely played in the last year because of knee and shoulder injuries, so would represent a calculated gamble.

Jacob Murphy enjoyed an outstanding campaign in 2024-25, with his tally of 12 Premier League assists bettered only by Mohamed Salah, but an additional option is required on the right wing.

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Former Newcastle defender Steve Howey says players tend to lean towards clubs near London despite Newcastle being a club that are "flying".

Howey told BBC Radio Newcastle's Total Sport programme: "The area is absolutely magnificent but a lot of players - and possibly their wives or partners - know London and everybody thinks that's the place to be.

"Of course, unfortunately, they'll tend to lean towards clubs down there because of London - even though you've got a club that's flying like Newcastle, who are going massively in the right direction, have just won the Carabao Cup, have got a brilliant and exciting manager, a fantastic team and ridiculous fans. You can go there and be adored."

On the significance of location to a player, he added: "It's hugely important. What people have to understand is the player themselves is usually fine. They can come, they're in among the lads, having a laugh, training and doing this and that, but it can sometimes be difficult for the partner because, at times, they're alone."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

Newcastle have launched bids to sign Brighton's 23-year-old Brazil forward Joao Pedro, Burnley's English goalkeeper James Trafford, 22, and Nottingham Forest's 23-year-old Sweden winger Anthony Elanga. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Trafford has agreed terms with Newcastle and talks between the two clubs are ongoing. (Fabrizio Romano), external

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We asked for your views on the "hardest" Newcastle player from the past 50 years. You've also given us some shouts from longer ago that deserve a mention.

Here are some of your comments:

Peter: Only one name: Duncan Ferguson. That's the end of the debate.

Alex: From the modern era, you'd have to give Joelinton a mention. I always think back to a match against Brighton where Moises Caicedo, with a look on his face of absolute fear, was hiding behind Dan Burn while Big Joe was trying to get at him after a scuffle during a set-piece.

Davey: He may not be as brutal as some of the players from the 70s and 80s, but I would put Joelinton up there with the hardest. Can you imagine if he'd been able to get away with some of the stuff refs let go back then? Absolute carnage! Big Joe is an absolute machine and I'd certainly think twice about challenging him for the ball. He's one of our best, toughest players of the modern era and I can't think of anyone he's scared of. Have you seen the size of his thighs?

Steve: Obviously I didn't play against them, like Ando did, but surely Duncan Ferguson, David Batty and Stuart Pearce need to be involved in any discussion of hardest player?

Alan: Alan Shearer! Took the knocks and gave them without moaning or rolling over and over, I remember the match when so called hardman Roy Keane squared up to Shearer. He soon backed down on his way off with a red card!

Ian: John McNamee was your classic 1970's Scottish piece of granite! He terrorised European forwards during our successful campaigns.

John H: John McNamee, which is more like 60 years ago.

Laurence: John McNamee. I saw him many times in the 60s, sleeves rolled up to his armpits and ready for battle. I witnessed him committing the worst foul I'd ever seen where Ernie Hunt, playing for Everton, ended up on the cinder track on the Popular side (East Stand) bleeding from thigh to calf.

Newcastle are looking at the likes of PSV Eindhoven and Belgium winger Johan Bakayoko, 22, and Borussia Dortmund and Germany attacker Karim Adeyemi, 23, if they are unsuccessful in their pursuit of Nottingham Forest and Sweden wideman Anthony Elanga, 23. (Teamtalk), external

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So, here is who former Newcastle defender John Anderson thinks has been the "hardest" Magpies player over the past 50 years.

He had no hesitation in picking Billy Whitehurst in top spot. Whitehurst only spent a year at St James' Park from 1985-86, but Anderson says that he is the toughest player he has come across in football.

"He would fight anybody and run through anybody," Anderson added. "He is top of my list and I don't think anybody comes close.

"I had the misfortune of playing against him and I just kept standing off him."

A recap of Anderson's top five:

5. Peter Jackson

4. Kenny Wharton

3. Brian Kilcline

2. David McCreery

1. Billy Whitehurst

• Listen to the debate in full on BBC Sounds here

And explaining why he did not choose any current players on his list, Anderson said: "The game has changed and you can't do what we used to do.

"There is nobody in the modern era who jumps out and makes you think you wouldn't want to play against them."

What do you make of Anderson's choices? Do you think any of today's players deserve a spot in the top five? Or are there any other players from longer ago who also deserve a nod?

Tell us who Anderson missed off his list here

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Nottingham Forest do not want to sell Anthony Elanga.

The winger has become a key man at the City Ground and Forest have rejected an offer, reportedly worth £45m, from Newcastle.

The Magpies have admired the 23-year-old for a while and tried to bring him to St James' Park last summer.

Yet Forest are prepared to stand firm and want to keep their big players ahead of returning to Europe next season after sealing a Europa Conference League play-off spot.

Elanga played in every one of Forest's Premier League games last season, making 31 starts and scoring six times as Nuno Espirito Santo's side finished seventh.

He joined for £15m from Manchester United in 2023 and has made 82 appearances for Forest, scoring 11 goals.

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It's time for the second part of former Newcastle defender John Anderson's countdown of the toughest players to represent the Magpies over the past 50 years.

At number three and the bronze medal, it's Brian Kilcline.

Kilcine arrived at Newcastle from Oldham Athletic in 1992, making 39 appearances in two seasons in the North East. His long hair and moustache combination gave him a distinctive look.

"He was a no-nonsense centre back who didn't take any messing about from anyone. He was a right handful, who put himself about and led by example. He told his team-mates if they weren't putting a shift in. He would head and kick anything above grass height."

In second place, Anderson chose David McCreery, who made over 250 appearances for the Magpies between 1982 and 1989.

"He was an exceptional player and he loved a tackle. Supporters loved him, and if you asked players to pick a side to go to battle with, he is the one player you would always want.

"He wasn't the biggest in the world, but he would run through a brick wall. Size meant nothing to Davey."

Listen to Anderson's selections here

And come back in a couple of hours to find out who he has at the top of his list

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Throughout Wednesday, we will be revealing which players former Newcastle defender John Anderson thinks have been the five "hardest" to play for the club over the past 50 years.

At number five, he chose defender Peter Jackson, who made 60 appearances for the Magpies between 1986 and 1988.

"A no-nonsense centre-back who mixed it with the best and didn't fear anybody," Anderson told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"He tackled hard and put his head where players nowadays wouldn't even put their foot. He got a few nicks, cuts and broken noses and he was a big strong boy."

Anderson chose academy graduate Kenny Wharton, who played 290 times for Newcastle over 10 years before leaving for Carlisle United in 1989.

"He packed an awful lot into [his size] and he was tough," recalled Anderson.

"I remember he got sent off against Crystal Palace. Billy Gilbert [former Palace defender] was just short of 6ft, 12 or 13 stone and Kenny didn't back down from him. He waited for him in the tunnel.

"He was tough, but he could play the game as well."

Come back later on Wednesday to see the next two players on Anderson's list.

Listen to the top-five selections on BBC Sounds

Nottingham Forest have rejected a bid from Newcastle worth about £45m for 23-year-old Sweden winger Anthony Elanga, who is valued at £60m. (Sky Sports), external

Meanwhile, the Magpies are willing to make Alexander Isak the best-paid player in the club's history to ward off interest in the striker from Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona. (Times - subscription required), external

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Newcastle United are in talks with Burnley over a deal for 22-year-old England goalkeeper James Trafford. (Fabrizio Romano), external

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We asked for your views on John Anderson's top five moments at St James' Park. Suffice to say, some of you didn't agree.

Here are some of your comments:

Tony: He has missed the biggest one. It nearly cost me my soon-to-be-completed marriage. David Kelly's last-minute winner vs Portsmouth. If we had lost, we could go down to the third division; we win, get a result at Leicester the next week, and the rest is history.

Anon: Newcastle 4 - 4 Arsenal has to be on there. Greatest comeback ever with the legend Tiote scoring the equaliser. Can't believe John has missed this off.

Richard: I watched Hatem Ben Arfa run the length of St James' Park and score. He just kept going and going. All around the ground, people were shouting: "Go on! Go on!" Louder and louder as he got nearer the Bolton goal. It built up to a crescendo, and then he scored. It was just a thing of beauty. My favourite moment. I was with my young son, which I think made it more special as we got to share it.

Neil: The Bowyer/Dyer incident should not even make the top 100 St James' Park moments! The 4-4 comeback game against Arsenal should replace it!

Ozzy: John Anderson missed out on Newcastle 4 - 4 Arsenal. We were losing 4-0 after 26 minutes, and it remained like that at half-time. The Toon played brilliantly in the second half and, following Arsenal going down to 10 men, gradually pulled back the deficit with goals. Tiote's long-range, low bullet to equalise with only a couple of minutes to go sent St James' absolutely wild.

Alan: King Kev's debut against QPR and scoring the winning goal! St James' Park rammed full for the first time in years. The whole city was on fire with excitement, and the world's press all over the ground. Kevin Keegan: a legend!

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Newcastle will face Spanish side Espanyol at St James' Park on Friday, 8 August, in their first home friendly before the 2025-26 season.

The match, which kicks off at 19:30 BST, has been added to bolster preparations for a season in which the Magpies will compete in both the Premier League and Champions League.

Head coach Eddie Howe is expected to use the fixture to build fitness and cohesion across the squad before Newcastle begin their league campaign at Aston Villa, followed by a home match against defending champions Liverpool.

Espanyol, who are marking their 125th anniversary, finished 14th in La Liga in 2024-25.

The fixture kicks off a busy weekend for the Tyneside club, with Newcastle's men's and women's teams set to take on Atletico Madrid in the Sela Cup on Saturday, 9 August.