Romanian football icon Gheorghe Hagi has stated that he came close to joining Newcastle United in his heyday. Now retired and into politics amongst many other businesses, Gheorghe Hagi is regarded as one of the best players to have graced the game. His latest revelation comes as a surprise to many, but certainly not to Newcastle fans, as the club enjoyed a lot of success during its heyday under Kenny Dalglish. Newcastle were one of the teams that came close to winning the title by competing along with Manchester United.

Hagi has now revealed that Kevin Keegan tried to get him when he was manager of Newcastle during the mid-90s. However, a deal could not be completed despite coming very close. During his playing days, Hagi represented the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid. He was even referred to as the Maradona of Europe. Hagi was a star of the 94 World Cup that took place in the United States. English football has seen only a limited number of imports from Romania, but Hagi would have certainly topped the list.

Some of the illustrious Romanian footballers to have represented English clubs include Gheorghe Popescu and Dan Petrescu. “I had the chance to join Newcastle when Kevin Keegan was manager and the deal nearly happened. But it was not to be. You have to have a real desire to play in England. You have to have a big heart, a hunger, a passion. The best players think quicker. They see things quicker. And it is all about fight. You have to play with passion, with heart, with desire. When you lose it has to make you unhappy and that is the time to analyse,” said Hagi while discussing the deal.

Newcastle could have certainly done with the presence of the player regarded as one of best in the world.