How wonderful to see my Newcastle United win a title after 56 years – Davide Santon | OneFootball

Davide Santon was only 20 when he moved to Newcastle United in 2011.

Arriving from Inter Milan, the young defender joined in the same transfer window as Yohan Cabaye and Demba Ba (and Gabriel Obertan and Sylvain Marveaux…).

He made an immediate impact, playing in 24 of the 38 Premier League games, as Newcastle finished in a surprising fifth place in 2011/12.

Then the following season helped United to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

He endlessly divided fans, at times looking like a brilliant pacey attacking full-back, at other times a really poor defender.

One thing for sure though, he became a massive Newcastle United fan in his time on Tyneside…

Davide Santon when he moved back to Inter Milan from Newcastle in 2015:

“I spent three and a half wonderful years in Newcastle, a great club with fantastic fans who have always supported me and showed me their affection.

“That’s why I will never forget them and they’ll always be in my heart.”

That love for Newcastle United continues to this day.

Davide Santon retired from playing at the age of only 31 in 2022 and has now been talking about Newcastle United winning the Carabao Cup on Sunday, just one small part of a wider interview with Gazzetta dello Sport:

“For the first few months after retiring I didn’t watch a single match: I hated it, but today I’m at peace with myself.

“I could still be there, it’s true, but the matches are also beautiful on TV.

“For example, how wonderful to see my Newcastle United win a title after 56 years.

“There, in England, I had the three most continuous and happy years, apart from the last months in which I was out for the third operation on the same knee.

“I could have been a commentator or gotten my license, but no more football.

“I live in Rome with my family and I have my sports centre in Lidi Ferraresi, where I was born.

“We play football, padel, tennis and the Sinner effect pushes many kids. I myself, when I see Jannik, am ecstatic.