Your Newcastle United headlines for Friday, August 12.
Howe’s Keegan invite
Eddie Howe has quipped he would “love it” if Kevin Keegan visited the Newcastle training ground. The legendary former Toon boss has been exiled from St James’ Park since quitting his second stint as boss in 2008.
Howe previously revealed that Keegan reached out to him ahead of taking the job last November. Ahead of the trip to Brighton, the man currently in the hot seat invited his “incredible” predecessor to return.
"I'd love that,” Howe told reporters. “He's an incredible guy. I enjoyed my first conversation with him before taking the job.
"I will be picking up the phone to him and I will be inviting him in. Whether he feels he wants to come? That's a different matter but, certainly, we would love to talk with him."
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Rodgers’ Maddison hint
Brendan Rodgers has reiterated Leicester City’s unfavourable position in the transfer market. Newcastle have seen two offers rejected for Foxes midfielder James Maddison in recent weeks.
Talks have cooled but that has not stopped Rodgers from being grilled in the media about possible outgoings. Speaking ahead of their clash against Arsenal, the Leicester boss again confirmed an exodus at the King Power Stadium is possible.
He said: "The club needs to move some players on and then we'll see what that releases. We have no guarantees at this stage."
Wilson on taking the knee
Callum Wilson has admitted the Newcastle dressing room was torn on whether to continue taking the knee before kick-off. Premier League clubs have performed the pre-match ritual for over two years in an attempt to raise awareness about fighting racial injustice.
Top-flight clubs adopted the gesture - synonymous with the controversial Black Lives Matter group - following the death of George Floyd in the United States. However, clubs have voted against continuing the practice for the entirety of 2022-23, with the knee only being performed before big occasions.
Wilson believes the anti-racism message “lost its impact” but revealed the United dressing room was split on the issue. He told the Footballer’s Football podcast: "For me, as part of the leadership group at Newcastle, we had this discussion and spoke about it and what we are going to do going forward. There were mixed opinions much like my own.
"I feel we did it for some time and it got recognition and people were asking questions about it and you start feeling like you're making progress and then people start doing their own thing, they have their own opinions about it and decide not to do it. So it's either we all do it or we don't do it at all.
"So it loses its impact. Going forward if you're on a big stage and it's a big occasion and a big game then take the knee. Start raising questions on a bigger scale but doing it week to week, just because we're told to do it now, I guess it's something that's faded and lost its impact.”
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