Tugay wants to come to the Toon..

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Blackburn Rovers midfielder Tugay Kerimoglu has revealed that he would be keen on a move to Premiership leaders Newcastle United.

"I want to go a step further," he told onefootball.com. "And Newcastle seems to me a great club where I can show some of my qualities."

After a disappointing spell at Rangers, Tugay has blossomed at Ewood Park this season and Newcastle boss Bobby Robson is known to be a great admirer of the former Galatasaray star.

A key figure in any deal is certain to be Newcastle's technical director Gordon Milne, who is well-respected in Turkey after leading Besiktas to three league titles in the 1980s.

Tugay, though, insists that he has no problems with life at Blackburn, where he has linked up again with Graeme Souness, who coached him at Galatasaray.

"I have to do my best for Blackburn this season," he said.

And Souness certainly rates him highly. "He is a model professional and if a manager had 11 of them he would never have a headache, that's the highest recommendation I can give him," he said.

The 31-year-old has often shown a desire to prove himself at higher and higher levels after enjoying a hugely successful career in Istanbul.

"I could have stayed in Turkey and wallowed in my own name but I don't want the easy life, I want to show everyone that I can succeed in Europe with Rangers," he said on quitting Galatasaray in the 1999-2000 season.

"I was one of the best players in the Galatasaray team but I now have to prove to myself and the rest of the world that I can be the best at another club."

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2001

Answers

Why upset the balance? He's only a year younger than Gary Speed who is settled in the team at the moment. More of a step sideways than forwards if we got Tugay.

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2001

Only the first on many who will now want to clamber aboard the gravy train. We don't need him.

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2001

Bobby Robson did go out of his way to personally congratulate him after the match, so there is obviously a mutual admiration. Could do a lot worse IMHO, even if we appear not to need him at the moment.

Happy Christmas everyone. Time I got stuffed I think :-)

-- Anonymous, December 25, 2001


We could do a lot worse, but we could also do a lot better.

What the hell am I doing posting here on Christmas Day? Oh well...

-- Anonymous, December 25, 2001


Sadness knows no bounds, Paul.

-- Anonymous, December 25, 2001


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