Bruce harks back to days we were flush with talent

STEVE Bruce will ‘knock on the door’ if there is an experienced player available who could improve Newcastle United – but a moment of nostalgia on the toilet reminded him that the days of the Magpies having two England internationals up front are firmly in the past.

The Newcastle head coach is due to meet with Steve Nickson, the club’s head of recruitment, next week ahead of the transfer window reopening in January.

Bruce has an idea of what he wants but recognises that the mid-season window is difficult to do business in as clubs are particularly keen to hold on to their best players because there is so little time to replace them.

Newcastle brought in five new players last summer and only Andy Carroll, a free transfer, was above the age of 25 and had previously played in England.

“How old’s Schär? How old’s Fernandez? How old’s Muto? There’s a few where the club have brought more proven players in,” he told reporters ahead of the trip to West Ham today.

“Ki is another one. He was a free transfer, but he was in his 30s. Look, if there’s a player out there who I think can improve us, and he’s 28, then I’ll go and knock on the door and I’ll make my case.”

Newcastle currently lie one point above the relegation zone in 17th place and it is Leicester City who are leading the way when it comes to upsetting the established order again.

The days of Newcastle beating Manchester United to the signing of Alan Shearer and gazumping Aston Villa to bring in Les Ferdinand are a thing of the past.

“It’s been down twice in 10 years and it’s been in the bottom half of the division.

“We have to accept we are like 10, 11 teams in the bottom half of the Premier League,” Bruce added. “That’s what we are.

“When you look at the recent history, I was sitting on the loo last week, turning over the paper. I saw Shearer and Ferdinand and thought, ‘Wow! Wow!’

“We had the best centre forward in England. Probably the best centre forward that’s been English for a long, long time.

“Your two centre forwards are England’s centre forwards but that’s gone in the past. We need to make the big jump for all of the teams. Man United are seventh – they’ve won three games. We’re in amongst that pack, which is always a fear, but can you get up to it?

“Can you go to be Leicester? That’s got to be the aim.”