For many Newcastle United fans, the name Nobby Solano instantly transports them back nearly twenty years to a different Premier League where players could show off their personality and flair.
With his infectious smile and performances on the pitch to back it up, the Peruvian winger became somewhat of a fan favourite during his first stint at the club from 1998 until 2004.
During those six years in Tyneside, the South American essentially became an adopted Geordie, with his love for the club clear.
So when his dramatic switch to Aston Villa came, many of the Toon were left shocked and angered that the crowd favourite was sold on for a knockdown of £1.4million.
The move came to fruition after the winger began to fall out of favour under Sir Bobby Robson, and with an out-of-position Lee Bowyer favoured out wide he knew his days were numbered.
Previously speaking to the Chronicle he revealed: “Suddenly I was left out. I was saying: ‘What’s going on? I’m only 28’ I knew I had plenty of football to play and it was frustrating.
“It was my decision to leave. Newcastle or Sir Bobby Robson didn’t expect me to make that choice.
“Bobby rang me many times on the day I left asking if I was sure it was the right decision.
“But he’d signed Lee Bowyer four months earlier and he was playing him as a right winger, even though he was a central midfielder. That didn’t give me any confidence. I needed to be at a club where they trusted me to play good football.
“It’s not often clubs let senior players go in January like that.”
With less and less game time available Solano knew it was the right time to move on, with the surprise deal to Aston Villa leaving a bitter taste in the mouth of many fans.
And, speaking in 2020, Solano revealed a truth that might shock some - he never wanted to leave.
Speaking to FourFourTwo he added: “To be honest, I never wanted to leave. But at the time Bobby Robson was a little bit funny with me, so I told my agent that I wanted to play football.
“Villa came in and gave me that opportunity. I had a great time there – I was player of the year in 2004-05.”
The Peruvian's time at Villa Park was a huge success, re-finding his former form he proved to be a force out wide even being named the club player of the year in 2004-05.
However, after never truly finding his home in the Midlands, after just 18 months he was on the move again considering a move back to his adopted home in the northeast, but the plan was nearly foiled by Liverpool's Rafa Benitez who managed to call Nobby on his drive up to St James' Park.
Solano revealed: “I was driving back to Newcastle when I had a call from one of Rafa Benitez’s assistants.
“But I’d already spoken to Alan Shearer and Stevie Harper, who said, ‘You’ve got to come back.’ So that was that.”
He rejected a move to Merseyside and in 2005 under the new management of Graeme Souness, Solano became a Magpie once again - going on to appear a total of 230 times for the club.
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