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Tom Coates

Where are they now? The Newcastle United side from the infamous 2005 Aston Villa clash

Aston Villa have not beaten Newcastle United at St James' Park for nearly 17 years but that is not what springs to mind when their 3-0 win in April 2005 is recalled.

The visitors were clinical on the day and swept the Magpies aside in impressive fashion but when a fight broke out between Newcastle teammates Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer, headlines were rewritten.

Newcastle had already been reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Steven Taylor and ended the game with just eight players as both Bowyer and Dyer were shown red cards.

The two sides meet again on Sunday afternoon and hopefully, the goalkeepers will be the only players putting their fists to use.

ChronicleLive have taken a trip down memory lane and investigated what every player included in the Newcastle squad that day is now doing.

Shay Given

A former stalwart between the sticks, Given spent nine seasons on the books at St James' Park.

He hung up his gloves in 2017 after a spell with Stoke City and is now trying to help Wayne Rooney keep Derby County afloat in the Championship as first-team coach.

Jean-Alain Boumsong

The former France international retired in 2013 having had spells at Juventus, Lyon and Panathinaikos after leaving Tyneside in 2006.

He has worked as a consultant for TV station beIN Sports and also had a spell as part of the Cameroon national team's coaching staff during Clarence Seedorf's reign.

Stephen Carr

In a professional career that spanned 20 years, Carr represented just three clubs - Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle and Birmingham City.

He did not follow the conventional path into coaching following retirement as many players do and instead moved to Marbella to focus on business ventures.

The former right-back also has his own clothing brand named One of One.

Aaron Hughes

The Magpies academy graduate did not step into coaching either but has remained in football.

He works for the Irish FA as an Elite Football Development Consultant, offering advice and guidance on footballing matters, and has recently spoken out about his view that a new national training centre would benefit the Northern Irish players.

Andy O'Brien

The 2004/05 campaign was O'Brien's last on Tyneside and he joined Portsmouth over four years in black and white.

He went on to represent Bolton Wanderers and Leeds United before ending his playing career with Vancouver Whitecaps in Canada.

Now 42, he works for Premier League giants Liverpool as a scout.

Lee Bowyer

The fight with Dyer did not spell the end of Bowyer's Newcastle days and he did not leave until June 2006, when he returned to West Ham United.

Spells with Birmingham City and Ipswich Town followed before he retired in 2012.

He is now Birmingham's head coach having previously spent nearly just under years in charge of Charlton Athletic, who he led to promotion from League One in 2019.

Nicky Butt

A brief spell with South China followed after Butt ended his six-year association with Newcastle and it proved to be the last move of his playing career.

He returned to Manchester United, the club he had climbed the ranks of as a young prospect, as a coach and worked in various roles before leaving in March 2021.

Butt has since taken on a CEO course and has coached at Salford City, a club he is a co-owner of alongside his former teammates from the famous 'Class of '92'.

Kieron Dyer

Like Bowyer, Dyer also left Newcastle for West Ham United but did so a year after his former Magpies teammate did.

Injuries took their toll on the former England international and he retired in 2013, taking on a coaching role in the Ipswich Town academy.

He left the Tractor Boys in 2019 but has since returned to take charge of the club's under-23 side.

Jermaine Jenas

Injury derailed the the midfielder's career and he never quite hit the height expected of him as an exciting prodigy at Nottingham Forest and then Newcastle.

He retired in 2014 and is now co-host of the BBC's The One Show, and he also appears regularly on Match of the Day.

Laurent Robert

Robert had a penchant for the spectacular but he struggled to find a home after leaving St James' Park and did not make more than 20 appearances for Benfica, Levante, Derby County, Toronto or Larissa.

In 2017, he returned to his former club Montpellier as a youth coach.

His son, Thomas Robert, currently represents Belgian side Royal Excel Mouscron having previously had a spell in Scotland with Airdrieonians.

Alan Shearer

Shearer postponed his decision to retire shortly before the defeat to Villa and went on to score add 10 Premier League goals to his tally in his final season with the club.

The Magpies legend did have a spell in charge of the club back in 2009 on an interim basis but could not prevent the club slipping into the Championship.

He has been a staple of the BBC's football coverage since his retirement and also writes for The Athletic.

Steve Harper

The long-serving goalkeeper is now in charge of developing Newcastle's future stars.

He was appointed as the club's academy manager in July 2021 having already worked extensively with the academy and also with the first-team as a member of Steve Bruce's coaching staff.

Harper has also worked as a coach for the Northern Ireland national team.

Steven Taylor

Taylor made the decision to hang up his boots last year in bizarre fashion, as he did so just days after Wellington Phoenix named him captain for the current A-League campaign.

He cited separation from his family as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic as a reason and he now works for Gulf United in Dubai as first-team coach.

Amdy Faye

The combative midfielder spent one season with the Magpies before joining Charlton Athletic in August 2006.

He had a brief spell on loan at Rangers whilst on the books of the Addicks and went on to represent Stoke City and Leeds United before retiring in 2011.

James Milner

At 36, Milner is the only member of the squad from the defeat to Villa that is still playing.

He left for the Villans in 2008 and his career blossomed, leading to moves to Manchester City and Liverpool and 61 caps for the England senior team.

The versatile midfielder has collected numerous accolades throughout his glittering career and has made 23 appearances in all competitions for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool this season.

Shola Ameobi

Ameobi spent 14 years as a professional with Newcastle after ascending the club's youth ranks and also spent time with Gaziantep F.K, Crystal Palace, Bolton Wanderers, Fleetwood Town and Notts County before retiring.

The Magpies cult hero returned to Tyneside in 2019 as Newcastle's first-ever loan coordinator, a role which involves ensuring young players benefit from the loan system.

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