Newcastle United have enjoyed a period of success under current boss Eddie Howe, with their achievements in recent seasons unthinkable after a turbulent few years on and off the pitch.
The Magpies were taken over by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) in January 2022, with the new owners investing heavily in the playing squad, with players such as Anthony Gordon and Sven Botman joining the club for fees over the £30m mark.
The investment allowed Howe to change Newcastle's fortunes, with the club dangerously close to an unwanted return to the Championship. Since survival in the 2021/22 campaign, Howe's dragged the Magpies away from potential danger and transformed the side, resulting in a fourth-placed Premier League finish last season.
The club came perilously close to a first trophy since 1955, losing 2-0 to Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final, before securing a place in the Champions League after a fourth-place Premier League finish.
Newcastle's squad has improved significantly in recent years. However, the club may have missed a trick by letting one player go back in 2012.
Fraser Forster's time at Newcastle United
Fraser Forster came through the academy at St James' Park, before signing a professional deal with the Magpies in 2005. The 6 foot 7 goalkeeper had multiple spells away from Tyneside, joining clubs such as Stockport County and Bristol Rovers – making ten appearances during the two spells.
His loan spells in the lower leagues couldn't propel him into the first-team picture, with Tim Krul remaining the Magpies' number one for the 2009/10 campaign. Forster subsequently joined League One side Norwich City on loan – with the 'keeper making 38 appearances, helping the Canaries immediately return to the Championship.
His form in East Anglia saw Forster secure another temporary move, this time to the Scottish Premiership, joining Celtic on loan for the 2010/11 season. He made 36 starts, in a season where the club secured a second-placed finish with his form securing another loan spell back to Celtic Park.
He enjoyed another spell in Scotland – keeping 26 clean sheets throughout the campaign – and subsequently joined the Old Firm outfit on a permanent deal for £2.2m, leaving the Magpies without playing a single professional game for the club.
Fraser Forster since leaving Newcastle United
Since leaving St James' Park in 2012, Forster has gone on to have a successful career in Scotland as well as in the Premier League for multiple different sides.
His stint for Celtic was a successful one, with Lionel Messi notably describing Forster as "not human" in 2015, after his prior displays in the Champions League against Barcelona – notably during the Hoops' shock 2-1 win over Messi and co in November 2012.
Forster's impressive campaigns in Scotland caught the eye of Premier League outfit Southampton, with the Saints forking out £10m for the shot-stopper in the summer of 2014. He spent a successful eight years at St Mary's, with the former Newcastle man making over 100 appearances on the South Coast before eventually falling down the pecking order, behind former Manchester City youngster Angus Gunn.
He returned to Celtic on loan in 2019, impressing once again, but it wasn't enough to force his way back into the Saints' starting eleven. He eventually left the club upon the end of his contract in 2022, joining Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer as a backup for Hugo Lloris.
The now 35-year-old has made 21 appearances in north London, most of which have come in cup competitions with Forster's current deal set to expire at the end of the season.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
He may not have been one of the world's best 'keepers, but his form in Scotland and the Premier League could've allowed the former Magpie to have been number one at his boyhood club had they kept hold of him.
