Almost as soon as Philippe Albert starts to look back at his time on Tyneside, it becomes clear that Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle United were the perfect fit for the ball-playing Belgian centre-half.
“I was always a defender with attacking possibilities. When you are capable of bringing the ball out from the back, it is very difficult for the other team to cope. I was technically gifted, because I worked very hard to have a certain standard, and I was very lucky to be called by Kevin Keegan. At the time, Newcastle were playing football that I dreamed to play,” he recalls.
One of United’s most popular players since the start of the Premier League era, Albert’s pathway to St. James’ Park is well-documented. After turning out for Charleroi, KV Mechelen and Anderlecht in his homeland, Albert caught the eye playing for Les Diables Rouges at the 1994 World Cup, prompting Keegan – stationed in the US as a pundit for ITV – to part with a £2.65m fee.
By that point, Newcastle were already carving out a reputation for their flamboyant, free-flowing style of play. United had netted 82 times en route to a top-three finish in the Premiership the previous season – their first back in the top-flight following a four-year absence. Looking to improve further, Keegan added a string of players to his squad that summer, including Albert, of whom the Magpies’ boss said at the time:
“He takes the eye straight away. He’s exciting and quickens the pulse a bit.”
An intriguing description for a centre-half, but one which was to prove accurate in the years to come. And, as Albert admits, there were other members of the United backline with the same attacking outlook.
“John Beresford, Steve Watson, and later Warren Barton – they were all defenders who liked to attack,” he explains. “But, that was the way Kevin wanted us to play, and that was what I wanted as well.”
Tomorrow’s programme also features an in-depth interview with defender Jesus Gamez, who made his first Sky Bet Championship start since November at Reading on Tuesday night. Copies will be on sale from various vendors outside the ground for just £3.
