Patrick Kluivert has blamed Alan Shearer for his disappointing spell at Newcastle United. The Dutch striker left after just one season at St James' Park and joined Valencia, Newcastle's pre-season opponents on Saturday.
High Hopes Fizzle Out
When the Magpies landed the former Barcelona, AC Milan and Ajax striker on a free in the summer of 2004, it was widely regarded as one of the biggest transfer coups of the window. At 28, Kluivert was still considered one of Europe's elite forwards, and Newcastle fans were understandably salivating at the prospect of seeing him and Shearer rubbing shoulders in attack.
But the pair never really clicked and struggled to develop any real on-field chemistry. Newcastle slumped to a disappointing 14th-place finish in the Premier League that term.
Kluivert's Accusation
Kluivert left for Spain at the end of the season. He later claimed that Shearer's God-like status at St James' Park - which made him undroppable in the eyes of manager Graeme Souness - was the reason he failed to make much of an impact.
"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 November 2005. "The man is God in the North."
"I think Shearer is a fantastic footballer, but Souness should have played Bellamy and me together all the time. We formed the ideal partnership, Souness should have preferred both of us above Shearer."
"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."
Chaos at Newcastle
Kluivert insisted that moving to Newcastle was one of the worst decisions of his career. He described the club as being in a constant state of "chaos" and well below the elite standards set by the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United at the time.
"Newcastle United was not the right choice, there is always chaos at that club," Kluivert said. "Where in the world do you see two players from the same club fighting with each other in the middle of a match? I can remember sitting on the bench and it just happened in front of me, Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer having a right brawl."
"It was always my dream to play in England, when I look back I think it was one of the biggest mistakes in my career. Not because of England, but because of Newcastle. What turned me off as well was the kind of football Newcastle play. In England only Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool play good football."
Career Highlights
Kluivert announced himself to the football world at just 18, scoring the winner for Ajax in the 1995 Champions League final. After a single season with AC Milan, he joined Barcelona in 1998, where he forged a devastating partnership with Rivaldo and netted 122 goals in 257 appearances for the Catalan giants.
It was former Barcelona boss Sir Bobby Robson who persuaded Kluivert to make the move to Newcastle in 2004. But the reunion was short-lived, with Robson losing his job at St James' Park just four league games into the campaign.
Kluivert scored 13 goals in 37 appearances for Newcastle and then spent a year at Valencia, where the Magpies will continue their pre-season this evening. He finished his playing career with spells at PSV and Lille, retiring in 2008.
