Kieron Dyer reveals his United regrets
Oct 21 2010 by Luke Edwards, The Journal
Kieron Dyer is adamant there were more highs than lows for him at Newcastle United but, in an exclusive interview with chief sports writer Luke Edwards, he explained why he still has regrets.
THERE are those who maintain it is better to regret what you have done rather than what you have not. Kieron Dyer is not one of them.
In his eight years at Newcastle United, Dyer experienced some exhilarating highs in a young side which, under Sir Bobby Robson, came so tantalisingly close to ending the club’s decades-long search for a major trophy.
Yet, he also dealt with some crushing lows, memories which still haunt him, behaviour which can make him cringe.
Once a prince among football’s millionaire playboys, the leader of Bobby’s Brat Pack was the party animal in the Newcastle dressing room.
Young, supremely talented and arrogant with it. Newcastle’s youngsters were often brilliant on the pitch, but they were also capable of being objectionable off it.
“We had a young exciting team, a fantastic team when you think about it,” said Dyer, preparing to face Newcastle for the first time this weekend since signing for West Ham three years ago.
“But there was a lot going on off the pitch as well. They called us the Brat Pack and I suppose we were at the time.
“There was myself, Craig Bellamy, Jermaine Jenas, Titus Bramble, Carl Cort – we were young lads who had a lot of money, single, living away from home.
“We were enjoying life off the pitch and we got up to all sorts. But that is the problem you have in a city like Newcastle. We were doing well on the pitch and we were intent on enjoying ourselves off it, but we got into too many scrapes.
“We attracted the wrong sort of attention and there are things I did which I just can’t believe when I look back. I’m 31 now and we’re all the same, we can’t quite believe how we behaved when we were younger.
“That is what happens when you turn young men into millionaires in a city where they receive so much adulation just for being footballers. There are so many dangers when that happens, so many pitfalls – I fell into a lot of them.”
He continued: “I look at Andy Carroll and you can see the same problems. He has a lot going on in his life at the moment and I understand what he is going through. I hope he gets himself sorted out because he could become an excellent player.
“You still see these same things happening in football, not just in Newcastle. There is so much money given to young players it is dangerous, but you don’t have any comprehension of that at the time.”
For all of the lurid late night tales which surrounded him and the even more outrageous rumours which spread in their wake, there is one moment that comes back to haunt him more than any other.
