The Portuguese midfielder considered a move to Liverpool after impressing at Sporting CP, but ultimately opted for Newcastle
Hugo Viana of Newcastle United during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match between Newcastle United and Chelsea at St. James Park on April 25, 2004 in Newcastle, England.
Hugo Viana opted for Tyneside over Merseyside(Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
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Hugo Viana was in talks to join Liverpool in the early 2000s, but ultimately chose Tyneside after a phone call with then-Newcastle manager Sir Bobby Robson. With the transfer deadline edging nearer, fans will likely reminisce on deals that could've been in previous years, with one for the Reds involving Viana.
The Portuguese midfielder, who is now the director of football at Manchester City, burst onto the scene in 2001 with an excellent debut season for Sporting CP.
Viana, who was just 19 years old at the time of his big Premier League move, was described by then-Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd as "just the player Robson wants to spearhead our Champions League bid." He added: "The consensus is that he's the best young player in the world."
However, Liverpool were also keen on the teenager and had spoken with Gerard Houllier and Abel Xavier. They had urged him to head to Anfield and become a hero of the Anfield terraces.
But one phone call with Robson changed everything, as his current stance and previous history at Sporting convinced Viana to head up north instead. He said: "At the time of the 2002 World Cup, I still had not decided on where I wanted to go.
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"There were a few clubs interested in me. I spoke on the phone with Gerard Houllier at Liverpool and one of my (Portugal) team-mates, Abel Xavier, was always telling me to go there.
"Liverpool are obviously a huge club, and I was very confused and unsure about what I wanted to do, but then I spoke to Bobby Robson and after five or ten minutes, I was clear about Newcastle. I told him that they needed to speak to Sporting about a deal, but that there would not be a big issue with my contract.
"Mr Robson said he knew me; he’d watched some games at Sporting and in the Under-21 European Championships. He also worked at Sporting and is a legend in Portugal, so I felt more close to him and he told me he would give me time to adapt to life in England without worrying.
"In the end, I joined Newcastle without visiting the place first, but it is an amazing city and the fans are very passionate about football; they live for it and the atmosphere was great."
Hugo Viana of Newcastle United celebrates scoring the winning goal from a superb free-kick during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match between Newcastle United and Birmingham City held on May 3, 2003 at St James's Park, in Newcastle, England. Newcastle United won the match 1-0.
Hugo Viana has zero regrets(Image: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
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However, much to the Reds' relief, Viana didn't turn out to be the finished article in England. In 61 appearances for the Magpies, he scored just four goals and assisted nine times.
Despite this disappointment in the top-flight, the former midfielder holds no regrets over his time with Newcastle or anywhere in his career for that matter. He added: "During my career, I never wanted to imagine 'What if?'
"I think it is a waste of time to think about these things. I’m not sad about my career. It could be better, sure, but it could be worse. I never look back and think what could be. It doesn’t change anything; things happen without your control and it is important to adapt yourself to reality."
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