Taking the Michael Aug 12 2002
Newcastle United have made a cheeky £1 million bid to bring Geordie boy Michael Bridges to St James's Park from Leeds United.
This has been turned down by Peter Ridsdale with the news coming out of Yorkshire today that the Leeds chairman was not exactly enchanted with the bid from Newcastle.
But with Bridges not having played a first-team game for 18 months following a series of injures, it shows that United are prepared to take a gamble on the North Shields-born striker who was 24 a week ago today.
And I believe that Bridges will eventually find a peg in the dressing room at St James's Park.
The former Sunderland striker is gradually easing his way back into full fitness after his injury troubles, the latest being an ankle problem.
And the word on the Elland Road grapevine is that he is flying in training.
New Leeds boss Terry Venables would probably prefer to farm Bridges out on loan to a Nationwide League club to build up his match fitness.
Venables will have done his arithmetic and realised that two into five does not go as far as his strikers are concerned.
Forgetting about Aussie Harry Kewell, who is an attacking winger, Venables will have five class through-the-middle strikers in Robbie Keane, Robbie Fowler, Mark Viduka, Alan Smith and Bridges.
Fowler, of course, has a knee injury and will miss the start of the season but he will be able to return about the same time that Bridges is ready to stake his claim for a first-team place again at Elland Road.
I am told that Bridges is aware of United's audacious bid and it is no secret that the young player would love to play alongside Alan Shearer in a black and white shirt.
The young striker still has two years of his contract to run but I believe United will get their man sooner rather than later.
United were happy to make their bid because of the confidence they have in top American surgeon Dr Richard Steadman, who operated not only on Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy but also on Bridges' damaged knee.
Shearer has, of course, made a complete recovery while Sir Bobby Robson says that he thinks Bellamy will be ready to return in time for Champions' League third qualifying round game with Zeljeznicar at St James's Park on Wednesday, August 28.
Newcastle United have made a cheeky £1 million bid to bring Geordie boy Michael Bridges to St James's Park from Leeds United.
This has been turned down by Peter Ridsdale with the news coming out of Yorkshire today that the Leeds chairman was not exactly enchanted with the bid from Newcastle.
But with Bridges not having played a first-team game for 18 months following a series of injures, it shows that United are prepared to take a gamble on the North Shields-born striker who was 24 a week ago today.
And I believe that Bridges will eventually find a peg in the dressing room at St James's Park.
The former Sunderland striker is gradually easing his way back into full fitness after his injury troubles, the latest being an ankle problem.
And the word on the Elland Road grapevine is that he is flying in training.
New Leeds boss Terry Venables would probably prefer to farm Bridges out on loan to a Nationwide League club to build up his match fitness.
Venables will have done his arithmetic and realised that two into five does not go as far as his strikers are concerned.
Forgetting about Aussie Harry Kewell, who is an attacking winger, Venables will have five class through-the-middle strikers in Robbie Keane, Robbie Fowler, Mark Viduka, Alan Smith and Bridges.
Fowler, of course, has a knee injury and will miss the start of the season but he will be able to return about the same time that Bridges is ready to stake his claim for a first-team place again at Elland Road.
I am told that Bridges is aware of United's audacious bid and it is no secret that the young player would love to play alongside Alan Shearer in a black and white shirt.
The young striker still has two years of his contract to run but I believe United will get their man sooner rather than later.
United were happy to make their bid because of the confidence they have in top American surgeon Dr Richard Steadman, who operated not only on Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy but also on Bridges' damaged knee.
Shearer has, of course, made a complete recovery while Sir Bobby Robson says that he thinks Bellamy will be ready to return in time for Champions' League third qualifying round game with Zeljeznicar at St James's Park on Wednesday, August 28.
