Callum Wilson became Steve Bruce's second signing of the 2020 transfer window after completing a £20m move from relegated Bournemouth on a 4 year deal. The signing was something of a coup for the Magpies given stiff competition from a number of other clubs including Aston Villa who had themselves lodged a £21m bid just two days before this move was completed.

Wilson arrived at Newcastle after scoring 8 goals in his previous season for his relegated team. When you consider that no United player managed even that number of goals in the league in the same season it indicated how desperate the Magpies were for a competent front man.

The signing was also something of a deviation from Mike Ashley's previous recruitment policy, i.e. paying £20m for a 28 year old just not being something that was ever contemplated (Ashley not sanctioning a £16m deal for Rondon just a year earlier as one example).

The striker was opened with welcome arms by the Newcastle fans. Wilson, in joining the club, also focussed on the opportunity to use NUFC as a platform to be more than on the periphery of the England team, having scored on his debut as a full international the season before.

He'd stay at Newcastle for five years in all. Often appearing on social media on the Footballer's Football Podcast his 'banter' with Antonio at West Ham would at least spur him on to score regularly against the London club. The podcast would show something of the mans personality, clearly a fun loving but down to earth character from what you could gather from his social persona. His time at Newcastle would seem to marry up.

Never in the headlines for the wrong reasons, despite enduring the dark days of the end to eh Ashley era and seeing off Bruce ball.

Wilson would also be plagued by injury. A career that without time on the sidelines might have propelled him to more than just the nine international caps.

A player respected on the terraces he left when his contract ran down in 2025, with the club only offering him a 'pay as you play' contract with the players history and the fact he was clearly number 2 to Isak by that time.

For many his beaming into a TV camera after winning the League Cup in 2025 with Newcastle and shouting 'from relegation battles...to this...' as he held up his winner medal on the way to a victorious dressing room was the perfect end to his career at Newcastle. Coming on as a later substitute for an exhausted Isak under the Wembley arch and being on the pitch when the Magpies ended their 70 year wait for a domestic trophy seemed fitting for Callum. He endured the dark days, one of the few 'classy players' left before the takeover to go on and lift a trophy.

Thank Callum.