Kieron Dyer delighted to finally face old club
Oct 23 2010 by Luke Edwards, The Journal
KIERON Dyer is delighted to see Newcastle United back where they belong in the Premier League – even though he knows it means a torrid time for him tonight.
Dyer is set to face the club he spent the best eight years of his career for the first time since he signed for West Ham three years ago and expects to be given a rough ride by the travelling support, who are still seething at his behaviour in the build up to Sir Bobby Robson’s departure as manager.
The 31-year-old missed out on previous meetings between the two sides because of injury, but he is relishing this reunion as he argued the Premier League needs a club like Newcastle.
He said: “Obviously this is a game I’m really looking forward to. I’ve never played against Newcastle since I left and this will be a special day for me.
“It brings back a lot of memories and it has really got me thinking about the eight years I spent at the club.
“I was delighted to see Newcastle come back up. The Premier League needs Newcastle United and you have to say they have done remarkably well to come straight back up. I think Chris Hughton has done a fantastic job. It has changed a lot since I left, there are hardly any players left from my time there and it feels like a completely different football club as well with the new owners and so on.
“It is always hard for teams coming up from the Championship, but they’ve had a reasonable start and I’m sure that they’ve got enough quality in terms of the players and the manager to stay up this year.
“I think, if they do that, they can start to build again and look to get back to the level they were at when Sir Bobby was there.” Dyer knows his relationship with the supporters was a difficult one by the time he left St James’ Park.
But the former England international is adamant that he will show them respect.
He added: “My relationship with the fans turned a little sour and I’m sure I’ll be booed on Saturday by some of them, but I still think they are the best fans in the country.
“They are so passionate about football and their football club. If I score, if West Ham score, I won’t be celebrating the goal out of respect for them.”
