Ivan Toney returning to Newcastle United this summer? | OneFootball

I have a feeling that Newcastle United will try and make a move to bring Ivan Toney back to the club this summer.

On the pitch he is having a quite wonderful season for Brentford, and the goals are flowing.

Saturday saw him score in the 3-3 draw at Brighton, that was goal number 17 for Ivan Toney this season in 26 Premier League appearances.

This got me thinking of other players that the Toon let go and then re-signed and how it turned out for them.

Terry Hibbitt was signed from Leeds United by Joe Harvey and with a wicked wand of a left peg, struck up somewhat of a double act with Malcolm Macdonald and the fans lapped it up.

One of my earliest footballing memories is of little Terry joyfully swinging on Supermac’s back, after Malcolm had completed a hat-trick on his home debut (my little brother was also born on the same day, which makes it all the more memorable).

Who can forget his sublime long defence splitting pass, that sent Supermac away to kill Burnley off in the 1974 FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough?

Terry Hibbitt was feisty, opinionated and cheeky, and this helped him to get on the wrong side of ‘Uncle Joe’s’ successor Gordon Lee.

Legend has it that after Don Revie had called Supermac up for England duty, Lee had sarcastically said, “who the hell would have thought that England would have a centre forward called Malcy Macdonald. You should be playing for Scotland son.”

Before Supermac could reply, Terry quickly jumped to his mate’s defence and said, “how many caps for China have you got Mr Lee.”

Gordon Lee eventually sold Terry Hibbit in 1975 and Supermac in 1976, to Birmingham and Arsenal respectively.

After a couple of seasons Terry came back ‘home’ to his beloved Newcastle United but by this time the club had been relegated.

He captained the side but this was at one of the lowest points in our club’s history.

With the club still in the doldrums, Terry left Newcastle United once again, in 1981.

Terry McDermott was another fine player signed by Joe Harvey.

He usually played in a midfield four with Jinky Jimmy Smith, Tommy Cassidy and of course Terry Hibbitt.

After the 1974 final Liverpool soon came calling  and Terry went back to his hometown club and became a legend.

In his eight years at Anfield he won the lot, even did the double of being the PFA and the FWA ‘Player of the Year’, in the 1979/80 season.

In 1982 Terry Mac came back to Newcastle United after the magical capture of England captain Kevin Keegan.

Over the next two seasons he was a pivotal and integral part of the side that went on to regain their top flight status in 1984.

Mark McGhee arrived at Newcastle United from Greenock Morton as a fresh faced 20 year old in 1977.

The club were hurtling towards relegation, but in his relatively short first spell at the club, he showed promise and it was obvious that he had talent.

Alex Ferguson took him back north to Aberdeen in 1979 and McGhee never looked back.

After a glittering career with the Dons, Bayern Munich and Celtic, eyebrows were raised when he rejoined Jim Smith’s Newcastle United at the age of 32 in 1989.

He forged a formidable partnership with Micky Quinn and there were goals galore.

Issue 10 – October 1989

Mark left the Toon after two seasons and the question on everybody’s lips was “what would have happened if we had of kept hold of him all those years ago.”

Peter Beardsley had already established himself as a Toon legend by the time he left the club for Liverpool in 1987.

After we were promoted in 1993, Kevin Keegan persuaded Sir John Hall to splash the cash to bring Pedro home.

He was in his thirties now, but after some scintillating performances and even more outstanding goals in black and white, he actually won his place back in the national squad.

Issue 79 – June 1995

He captained the ‘Entertainers’ and nearly led us to the title in the heartbreaking 1995/96 season.

Nobby Solano arrived at Newcastle United in 1998 and what a super player he was.

A scorer of special and often crucial goals, Nobby became a fans favourite.

In his spare time he was also a trumpet playing local celebrity alongside his calypso band.

I was gutted and couldn’t understand why Sir Bobby Robson sold him to Aston Villa in 2004 but I was ecstatic when Graeme Souness brought him back in 2005.

Andy Carroll left Newcastle United in 2011 and by this time, I was nearly three years into my boycott with my brothers and some of my mates.

We had by now formed the Mike Ashley Out Campaign but still loved watching the Toon on TV.

The 2009/10 promotion season was great and I had nicknamed Andy Carroll the ‘Swashbuckler’.

He had a presence like Wyn Davies and proved that he knew the way to goal in the Premiership.

There was no way that the greedy FCB was going to knock Liverpool’s £35 Million offer back.

Andy went on to have a sort of a ‘What might have been’ career, and suffered from many injuries.

He rejoined Newcastle United on a free transfer in 2019 and once again the club were in turmoil under Ashley.

Andy was just a bit part player by now in an awful side but perfect for ‘He who shall not be mentioned in one of my articles’ style of hoof-ball (but obviously only if he was fit enough to participate).

So if Eddie Howe decides to bring Ivan Toney back, he will be in some esteemed company as a Toon prodigal son.

I know all about the bit of bother he has had with betting and the EPL etc.

He has also seemingly held a bit of a grudge after being sold by Newcastle United.

The lad thought that he hadn’t been given an adequate chance to prove himself but that is now history.

We got decent money for him but will have to pay a hell of a lot more to bring him back.

The way he’s been playing for the last few seasons I think that he would be worth the gamble (forgive the pun).