AMID a tornado of opinion, claim and counter-claim surrounding the skipper’s imminent departure, one thing is set in stone.

When Kevin Nolan eventually returns to St James’ Park, the welcome will be in marked contrast to the one afforded to his predecessor.

For while Nolan departs on bad terms with a Newcastle hierarchy looking to push through major changes in terms of personnel and philosophy, his contribution will never be forgotten by the supporters who delivered such a damning verdict on Michael Owen back in April.

Nolan could not have been more different from the detached, clinical Owen. Although a Merseysider by birth, he embraced Newcastle as a city and as a club and saw the role of captain – handed to him at the start of last season – as a honour and privilege.

After a disastrous start to his United career, as form, fitness and fortune deserted both him and his team-mates, it was Nolan who helped resurrect Newcastle along with other prominent players.

And after a Championship season in which he led from the front, the reward of skipper was a fitting one. It merely formalised what many had long recognised – that his was a voice of influence and power among a squad brought closer together by relegation.

Certainly, there are those within the four walls of St James’ Park who became uneasy at the influence he wielded.

No doubt Chris Hughton did rely on Nolan to help instill discipline and bring the team closer together and the player was not unaware of how to play the politics of the dressing room to his advantage.

A row over bonuses at the end of the season may not have helped his cause. But if he had become a big voice at Newcastle, his actions and the way he carried himself justified that role. Always prepared to speak to the media after a heavy defeat, his goals were matched by a continued commitment to a community that he recognised as similar to the one he had been brought up in.