Danny Guthrie has opened up on his decision to swap Liverpool for Newcastle in 2008 and the role that Steven Gerrard played in convincing him to complete the move
Danny Guthrie talks on a podcast
Danny Guthrie told how Steven Gerrard convinced him over his move to Newcastle United
(
Image: Inside Football)
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Danny Guthrie has opened up on almost having a change of heart over joining Newcastle United, until Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard suddenly stepped in.
The former Magpies star revealed how his 'stomach dropped' while on his way to a medical at St. James' Park before Gerrard told him he would be 'mad' to turn down the move.
Guthrie was en route to Newcastle in 2008 to finalise a move from Liverpool, the club he had been at since he was 16-years-old, when he began having second thoughts. "I just felt my stomach drop," the now 37-year-old said to Inside Football.
"I was like, 'no, I can't'. I was at my dream club. I was at the best place in the world as far as I was concerned in terms of the team and I was so proud to be a Liverpool player. It just hit me.
"I rang my agent and I said, 'look, I don't want to do this.' I'm halfway up and he said, 'no, just have a look around the training ground and meet the manager'. I said, 'I really don't want to. I want to stay at Liverpool'. He said, 'hold on. I'll call you back in a minute'.
"The phone started ringing and it wasn't his number. It was Stevie G and he said, 'what's going on?' I went, 'I'm driving up to Newcastle. They have accepted a bid'. He said, 'that's amazing'. I was like, 'I don't know'.
Steven Gerrard on the bench
Guthrie claimed that Steven Gerrard helped seal his move to Newcastle
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Image:
Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
"He said, 'you're mad. That is a proper football club up there. Go up there, establish yourself as your own man, your own player. Go and be the man in someone else's team. Build that confidence. Establish yourself in the Premier League. You never know what the future holds, but don't be somebody who fizzles out at a big club'.
"That was it. As soon as he put the phone down, I went, 'yeah, you're right' and I signed [for Newcastle]."
NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 13 : Danny Guthrie of Newcastle during the Barclays Premier League match between Newcastle United and Fulham at St James' Park on November 13, 2010, in Newcastle, England. (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Danny Guthrie made over 100 appearances for Newcastle
Guthrie made just seven appearances for Liverpool before he moved to St. James' Park in 2008. He spent four seasons with the Magpies, making 104 appearances as helped them secure promotion back to the Premier League in the 2009/2010 season.
Following his time in the North East, Guthrie had stints at Reading, Fulham, Blackburn Rovers, Indonesian side Mitra Kukar, Walsall and Icelandic club Fram.
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