Patrick Zwaanswijk may be a name that Newcastle United fans are unfamiliar with, but that might not have been the case. If things had gone his way, he’d have been a Magpie.

But football careers are filled with near misses, and for him, Newcastle was the big one. That failed transfer still stings two decades later, as he’s now explained to De Telegraaf.

Zwaanswijk was impressing at Utrecht in the early 2000s, having joined the club from Ajax U21s in 1998. He went on to make 182 appearances for the club, bagging 19 goals and two assists despite playing as a centre back.

Liverpool, Aston Villa and definitely Newcastle

That earned him serious Premier League attention. Liverpool and Aston Villa monitored him, but Newcastle pushed harder than anyone else.

And after three scouting missions, made a serious bid.

“Liverpool and Aston Villa both showed interest, but Newcastle United, who had sent scouts to watch me on three separate occasions, were the most serious and submitted a substantial offer,” he said.

Failed Newcastle bid still hurts

Despite the Magpies determination, the move collapsed. But it was not due to the player or the Premier League club.

Rather, FC Utrecht put...