Arsenal was dream move, admits Dyer

KIERON Dyer admits the decision to sign for Newcastle United over Arsenal and Leeds still weighs on his mind over 25 years on.

The Magpies hero left Ipswich Town for a move to St James’ Park back in 1999 after excelling in the south east and earning suitors across the Premier League.

Newcastle’s £6.5m bid was enough to strike a deal, despite interest from the likes of Arsenal, Leeds United and West Ham United at the time.

Dyer went on to play almost 200 games at Newcastle, becoming a fan-favourite under Sir Bobby Robson in the process.

The versatile midfielder would leave for West Ham in 2007 before ending his career with stints at QPR and Middlesbrough – but a move to Tyneside was never his first choice just before the turn of the century.

“Newcastle wasn’t my first choice it was just more money [bid],” Dyer told Open Goal. “It was £6.5m.

“If I’d known what I know now and all the managers I’d spoken to, I know Arsenal wanted to buy me as a right-back, Harry Redknapp was playing three at the back [at West Ham United] and saw me as a right wing-back, then Ruud Gullit [at Newcastle] and David O’leary [at Leeds] saw me as a midfielder.

“I know Leeds and Arsenal bid £5m. Then I get pulled in the manager [George Burley’s] office and he goes ‘we’ve accepted a bid from Newcastle head to Stansted Airport and fly up for your medical’. You don’t get time to think about it.

“As soon as my agent tells me the deal, I’m like, OK. This is no disrespect to Newcastle, I had the most amazing time there, we played Champions League football, the fans are unbelievable, but at the time, if I had thought about it, I would have held tight and seen if Leeds and Arsenal would have upped their bids because Arsenal would have been the dream.”

Dyer currently holds the position of first-team coach at Chesterfield after stints on the staff at boyhood club Ipswich Town and in the ‘I’m a Celebrity...’ jungle.

The 45-year-old underwent a successful liver transplant in 2023.