‘I needed’ - Player who Newcastle United made a 30x profit on reveals why he controversially jumped ship

Mike Ashley parted with less than £1million to sign the Spaniard from Tenerife five years earlier. Then a relative unknown, Perez was tasked with joining an Alan Pardew side lacking significant investment.

Pardew left six months later and Newcastle’s season spiralled into a relegation-threatened one. Battling to beat the drop became synonymous with Perez’s time at the club, with 2015-16 proving fatal.

The forward played a vital role in securing an instant Premier League return before joining Leicester for £30million two years later. Perez chipped in with several vital goals and was Newcastle’s top scorer throughout the Mike Ashley era.

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He joined Villarreal in the summer after being part of the Spain squad that triumphed at Euro 2024. That move has proven fruitful, with Perez bagging six goals from his opening seven games.

The now 31-year-old has opened up about leaving Newcastle for a fresh challenge. Perez told El Periodico Mediterraneo. He said: “I’m turning red! I spent five wonderful years at Newcastle, at least four of them, three and a half of which were with Rafa Bentítez, with whom we promoted to the Premier League, and I learned a lot from him.

“I started as a No.9 at Newcastle, but very soon they moved me to the winger position. It is true that I performed well and I was very satisfied with my performance in such an important club. Playing in England and in the Premier League is a unique experience for a footballer.

“The truth is that, after five years at Newcastle I needed a change, both athletically and mentally. And I signed for Leicester in 2019, years after they won the Premier League. Brendan Rodgers bet on me and they were very nice years in which we won two titles, the FA Cup and the Community Shield, and we returned to Europe, returning Leicester to the highest level of football.”