The legendary Sir Bobby Robson once decided to leave then Newcastle United star Nolberto Solano at a hotel leading the Peruvian to have to chase down the Toon team bus
13:15, 12 Dec 2024Updated 13:16, 12 Dec 2024
Nolberto Solano
Nolberto Solano was a fan favourite on Tyneside(Image: Getty)
Former Newcastle United boss Sir Bobby Robson once ended up leaving one of his Toon Army stars stranded at a hotel, leading them to have to chase down the team bus.
Famous on Tyneside for his wondrous right-foot and trumpet playing antics, Peruvian midfielder Nolberto 'Nobby' Solano was a Magpies fan favourite, arriving at St James' Park from Boca Juniors in 1998. Over two spells at Newcastle, Solano made 315 appearances for Newcastle, the majority of which came during Robson's tenure in charge.
Solano, who turned 50 this week (December 12), supplied plenty of assists to the Premier League's all-time leading top goalscorer Alan Shearer. However, the former Newcastle striker turned pundit recalls a time where Solano faced the wrath of an angry Robson, who once left the Peruvian at a hotel whilst the rest of the team travelled to a game.
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And it resulted in Solano chasing down the team bus in his car, only to be told when they got to the game, he wasn't playing, despite being told at their pre-match meal he was.
Speaking to Gary Lineker and Micah Richards during an episode of the Match of the Day: Top 10 podcast back in 2021, Shearer reminisced: "You think I was a stickler for being on time, worse than I was, was the late, great Sir Bobby Robson.
Solano's deadly deliveries were often converted by the clinical Alan Shearer, who shed light on the team bus episode
Solano's deadly deliveries were often converted by the clinical Alan Shearer, who shed light on the team bus episode(Image: GETTY )
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"He was always late himself. He maybe didn't know he was late but he was late. I remember we were playing either Sunderland or Middlesbrough and we stayed in a hotel the night before.
"We were leaving the hotel at one o'clock and Nobby Solano was late. We had our pre-match in the hotel and then we were on the bus, ready to leave at one o'clock. At two minutes past one, Nobby Solano wasn't on the bus. So Sir Bobby said: 'Come on, let's go'.
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NEWCASTLE - MARCH 19: Manager Bobby Robson of Newcastle during the Newcastle United v FC Barcelona UEFA Champions League Group A match at St James's Park in Newcastle, England on March 19, 2003.
Sir Bobby Robson was less than pleased with Nobby Solano's timekeeping(Image: Getty Images)
"Actually, at that minute, Nobby was coming out of the hotel and the bus was pulling out, ready to go, and Bobby said: 'Carry on, leave him'.
"No word of a lie, Nobby got in his car and was driving behind the bus to the ground and Bobby still left him out of the team. Shearer added: "He was in the team when he announced the team at pre-match but he left him driving in the car behind and then said: 'Sorry, you're not playing'."