North-East sporting legend Steve Harmison feels like Mike Ashley has the perfect window to sell up and hand the keys of Newcastle United over to a new owner.
The Ashes winner is a massive Toon fan and is praying for brighter days ahead on Tyneside.
In a passionate interview with Talksport, Harmison hopes that Ashley accepts the reported £340million offer of Saudia Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
He said: "When we come out of this (virus pandemic), Mike Ashley has not covered himself in glory with Sports Direct and Newcastle United.
"If there’s ever a time for him to get out of Newcastle, this is it.
"Please, for these great Newcastle supporters.
"We don’t want to be tarnished with that brush any more."
Newcastle told staff they would be getting temporarily laid off this week with football currently at a standstill.
Harmison said: "If you were asked the question, ‘which Premier League team would be the first to put their non-playing staff on furlough?’, the answer would be Newcastle. It would be Mike Ashley.
"So this doesn’t surprise me.
"We’ve seen what he’s done with Sports Direct – we’re being told to stay in and don’t go out, but he left his shops open (Sports Direct made the decision to close on March 24).
"It does not surprise me with Mike Ashley.
“The reports in the local papers up here yesterday were that this could be the closest Newcastle has been to being taken over in the last three years, with all the nonsense that has happened.
"And I hope so. "
