Didi Hamann has opened up about his Newcastle United exit in 1999 - a controversial decision that left fans furious at the time.
Having burst on to the scene at St James' Park with a thumping free-kick against Juventus in a pre-season friendly win in front of the Gallowgate End, supporters were excited about the arrival of the Germany international. But after the man who signed him from Bayern Munich in Kenny Dalglish was replaced by Ruud Gullit, Hamann had to prove himself to the Dutchman all over again.
Hamann picked up an injury in Gullit's first game in charge, a 4-1 loss to Liverpool, but then impressed fans later that season with goals against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. Gullit went on to lose the dressing room after trying to replace Alan Shearer and not handing Rob Lee a squad number in 1999.
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But Hamann said his exit was more complex than just a bust-up with the old boss. Hamann told Chronicle Live: "Nah, it wasn't that. I got injured in one of my first games for the club against Liverpool under Ruud, his first match.
"We lost 4-1 and Michael Owen got a hat-trick. "I was out with a medial ligament injury in my knee. I was out for nine weeks. At the time we had Gary Speed, Rob Lee, Nobby Solano all battling."
Incredibly, Newcastle then sanctioned a sale for Hamann before he'd even proven himself at St James' Park. He said: "When I came back in November didn't get straight back in the team. I spoke to Ruud and said: 'What we going to do if I'm not playing, it's no good to anyone.'
"So they said to me: 'If you find a club where we get our money back in the summer then we have a solution'. Then I started scoring a few goals during the spring and had a good end to the season."
Newcastle did more than get their money back on £5.2million signing Hamann, they ended up with an £8million fee from the Anfield club before Hamann went on to win domestic cups and the Champions League.
Speaking on Gullit's decision to sell, Hamann said: "That gave me the chance to go to Liverpool. It was an opportunity I liked to take up. These things never feel good because I had a great time and the way they welcomed me at Newcastle was second to none. At the same time, we had good players, but we weren't the best team we could have been."
Gullit's exit was sealed the night he went too far and dropped Alan Shearer and Duncan Ferguson for the Tyne-Wear derby in 1999. Having already banished Lee and Stuart Pearce at St James', his departure felt inevitable after a 2-1 derby defeat.
The ex-AC Milan star had signed Duncan Ferguson the previous season but the changes did not really flourish. Hamann spoke about the dynamics of a broken dressing room.
He said: "That had to do with Duncan Ferguson coming in from Everton. Everybody felt that Ruud wanted to replace Shearer and everybody also knew that wasn't going to be possible.
"At times there was a weird vibe about the whole place. It all came to a head that day against Sunderland.
"It all started to unravel after I'd left. The day he didn't play Alan Shearer against Sunderland was the culmination."
Reflecting on his own Newcastle exit, Hamannn said: "With me it had nothing to do with the manager. "He said he had other players who were fit and doing well. Sometimes you just have to accept it. "It was nothing personal with Gullit for me, just an opportunity to go to a club that tried to achieve things, Gerard Houllier had just taken over.
"I just took an opportunity to win trophies. You always feel bad for the club and the fans you leave because I had a brilliant time there, it was just one of those things.
"It is part of the business. Although what happened with Ruud and the derby and Alan, the writing was on the wall for a while."
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