Newcastle have some big transfer decisions to make this summer, not least in goal
18:00, 04 Jun 2026
Newcastle goalkeepers L-R John Ruddy, Max Thompson, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope and Mark Gillespie
Now let it be said I have nought against the lad. Mark Gillespie is a Geordie who loves the Toon as we all do but he has reaped an awesome reward for his devotion.
At 34 years of age (35 before next season is out) Gillespie has been given a year’s extension on his contract which means life goes on while United have culled the old and the young around him.
John Ruddy has predictably had his wages ended by Newcastle at the ripe old age of 39 while Max Thompson, son of United’s long-serving kit man Ray, has gone the journey at the other end of the spectrum aged 21.
It all highlights a crippling problem over goalkeepers within St James Park – a puzzling state of affairs which must be addressed as a matter of urgency this summer.
What will be viewed by the average fan as baffling is that Gillespie has repeatedly been retained over seasons despite being consistently way down the list for accession to the throne having last played a senior match for the club way back in 2020.
That was under Steve Bruce – Mark has never kicked a ball in the first team for Eddie Howe but has been regularly rewarded with contract extensions by his current manager even though he has been overlooked to such an extent that he hasn’t even sat on the subs’ bench on occasions when two keepers have helped fill the spaces.
Indeed Gillespie, signed from Motherwell in July of 2020, has never played in the Premier League for the Mags. His only three first-team outings have all been in the League Cup in his first season.
Ruddy was employed in the same way as Gillespie by Howe – a keeper for Mondays to Fridays but never at a weekend!
Mark has regularly been United’s fourth-choice keeper yet surely there was a kid coming through the academy in the last seven years who had enough ability and potential to adequately fill that job. As I say nought against the lad himself, just a puzzling set of decisions.
Gillespie’s retention and the departures of Ruddy and Thompson highlight the problem United are facing.
We all know they are in the market for a top-class keeper to rival Nick Pope with Aaron Ramsdale sent back to Southampton after his loan season. United have chased James Trafford longer than runners trying to keep up with Mo Farah without ever catching him. Will they now? Others are on their radar because Newcastle cannot rely on persistence being rewarded.
At the moment we only have Pope, Gillespie and young Aidan Harris with Odysseas Vlachodimos – a peculiar signing if ever there was one – deemed surplus to requirements and on his way out either permanently or on loan again.
It is a vulnerable state of affairs across the board and needs to be solved with urgency.
If goalkeepers, like fine wine, are supposed to mature and improve with age then United must be hoping that central defenders do the same because, having given Fabian Schar a year’s contract extension like Gillespie, their two back ups this coming season are 34 years of age.
That’s Schar and Dan Burn providing support and challenging Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman. They are big years for an outfield player and consequently a risk.
What those four names do tell us is that United are sorely lacking genuine pace at the centre of their back line, an Achilles heel we must hope is not exploited too often.
One overriding though: haven’t Big Dan and the Fabulous Fabby served us well. One the Wembley goalscorer and World Cup participant as strong as granite, the other the Cary Grant of central defenders smooth as silk.
The ultimate Golden Oldie of course is James Milner who announced his retirement this week at the age of 40 after 23 years and a record 658 Premier League matches.
A small slice of his six-club career was spent with Newcastle of course – Bobby Robson bought him in 2004 and he left in 2008 punctuated by a season’s loan to Aston Villa.
His 94 PL outings in our colours (136 over all competitions) is only a drop in the ocean with his staggering final total reaching 658 but we played a significant part in Milner’s life story. He considered Sir Bobby his mentor and said he learned how to handle himself as a top pro from Alan Shearer.
Overall Milner played for Leeds, Newcastle, Villa, Man City, Liverpool and Brighton winning three league titles, two FA Cups, two League Cups, and a Champions League as well as 61 England caps.
Never flashy, never a night clubber or party animal, Milner was quite simply the ultimate professional who dedicated his life to extending his first team career from 16 years old until 40.
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