Your Newcastle United headlines for Saturday, March 26.
Steven Taylor interview
Steven Taylor has exclusively told ChronicleLive that he rejected 'good money' to stay at Newcastle as he preferred first-team football. Rafa Benitez offloaded the Geordie following relegation in 2016 and he decided to seek pastures new at MLS side Portland Timbers.
The defender had stints in New Zealand and India before calling it a day on an 18-year career last season. He said: "I could have had good money just to sit for another year, but I wanted to play every game," Taylor told ChronicleLive. "I didn't want to play Saturday and then not play Tuesday. I was very greedy - I wanted to play every game. That's one of the reasons why myself and, eventually, Tim Krul moved on. We just wanted to play every game."
To read our exclusive interview with Taylor, click here.
'Non-league made me'
Dan Burn has told the club's website that non-league football helped him become the player he is today. The 29-year-old defender was released by Newcastle as an 11-year-old and had to earn his stripes the hard way, making his name at Blyth Spartans - his local team - before moving onto Darlington at 16.
He worked his way up the football pyramid and is now living the dream at Newcastle in the Premier League. Burn said: “Everything I've done throughout my career has led up to this point. From being a kid, going into the men's game, and realising people are playing for mortgages, bills and stuff - it's really important.
“For fans who have been part of teams relegated, where people are losing jobs around the training ground, you don't realise how much of an effect you out there can have on the club, the city and the staff.”
Barnes defends Howe
John Barnes has defended Eddie Howe following criticism he received regarding Newcastle's Saudi-backed regime. The Toon boss refused to be drawn into discussions regarding Saudi Arabia following a last-minute defeat to Chelsea a fortnight ago.
This sparked outrage from sections of the national press, who believe Howe should have been open on the topic. Former Magpies winger Barnes, however, disagrees and thinks the questions were directed at the wrong person. "We are governed by the highest authority of the land, which is the government," he said. "Where has Boris Johnson flown on a plane to get some oil now that Ukraine/Russia has happened? Saudi Arabia.
“How can we therefore say anything to Newcastle United, or Eddie Howe, about Saudi Arabia from a moral point of view. It’s a double standard and hypocrisy." To read more, click here.
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