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Leaving Newcastle United was hard – I knew the takeover was going to be big
Matty Hewitt
5 – 7 minutes
A lot can change in football in just a few years and former Newcastle United striker Ayoze Perez knows that all too well.
After arriving on Tyneside from Tenerife in June 2014, the promising young striker would go on to make 195 appearances scoring 48 goals over a five-year period, before a £30million move to a club on the up in Leicester City, which left a gaping hole in the Magpies’ attack.
Fast forward to present day and it’s Newcastle who have ended their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy after winning the Carabao Cup last month, with Leicester on the brink of returning to the second tier.
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The Toon head to the King Power Stadium on Monday night looking to inflict more misery on Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s struggling side, who are on the brink of relegation back to the Championship. However, just four seasons ago, the two clubs were in completely different positions.
Labour minister speaks on Newcastle United stadium plans
Labour minister speaks on Newcastle United stadium plans
It was Perez’s Leicester City who were about to go on and lift the FA Cup, with Newcastle fighting for their lives at the bottom of the Premier League, looking to fend off relegation months before the takeover was approved.
Perez would win the FA Cup with the Foxes and go on to play in Europe after back-to-back fifth place finishes, before leaving the King Power to return to Spain in July 2023 after being released by Leicester following their relegation from the Premier League.
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“I had the feeling that Newcastle were always a big team,” the former Magpies forward told ChronicleLive back in 2023. “But after some years of struggle and not doing the right things, the club and the city deserve what’s going on. That’s what everyone wanted so many years ago.
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“I knew the takeover was going to make a big difference. That was a very important day for everyone at the club and in the city as well because you could already smell what could come.
“You can see they play in the Champions League after a couple of years so that means a lot. I say that because I felt it. I knew the potential of this club with its massive fanbase. They were missing something like that. Seeing Newcastle back makes me happy.”
Newcastle United in 2019: Ayoze Perez ended the 2018-19 campaign in fine form, with a hat-trick against Southampton in April a highlight
Newcastle United in 2019: Ayoze Perez ended the 2018-19 campaign in fine form, with a hat-trick against Southampton in April a highlight
“It’s always tough to leave when you feel established and well in one place,” he added. “You’re leaving so many memories in football and also in your personal life.
“I signed for Newcastle when I was very young. It was my first time leaving Spain and living abroad is always complicated the first time. When I felt that I was going to leave, it was a weird feeling because I grew up there. I grew up as a person. I grew up as a player as well. They were good memories.
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“That’s why there was that little feeling inside of me when I left, but they were very different times compared to now. I felt it was the right time to move on and go somewhere else.”
Leicester had trophy ambitions of their own when Perez made the move to the Midlands, hoping to build on their Premier League title and FA Cup successes before a dismal 2022/23 campaign saw them relegated from the top flight.
Despite winning the Championship title last season, the Foxes have never truly been able to recover and have found life in the Premier League a long slog this season.
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“I spent a very good five years at Newcastle so it was a weird feeling,” Perez said when reflecting on boos when he returned to St. James’ Park. “Even getting to the away dressing room beforehand, it was all different. That’s football, but I always felt like I was coming back home.
“I had so many good memories and as soon as we got there, I used to have great feelings just seeing the different parts of the city where I used to live, especially when I was so young. It was a great chapter in my life and my career so I always had that special feeling when we played there.
“There was a connection since day one, but I know how it works [with the boos]. It was part of the show. It’s normal. When you play for a different team, you are now a rival. It made me laugh a little bit. There were no hard feelings.”
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