'I nearly joined Liverpool but one phone call had me packing my bags'

The former Newcastle winger revealed that a phone call from Sir Bobby Robson convinced him to snub Liverpool

Hugo Viana was once a Liverpool transfer target but chose Newcastle after a phone call from then-manager Sir Bobby Robson. As the January deadline looms, Reds fans may reflect on past potential signings that never materialised, such as Viana.

The Portuguese midfielder, now serving as the director of football at Manchester City, first made waves in 2001 with an impressive debut season for Sporting CP. At just 19 years old, Viana made his big move to the Premier League, where he was hailed by then-Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd as "just the player Robson wants to spearhead our Champions League bid." Shepherd added: "The consensus is that he's the best young player in the world."

Liverpool had also shown interest in the young talent, with Gerard Houllier and Abel Xavier encouraging him to join the ranks at Anfield and become a terrace hero.

However, a single conversation with Robson swayed Viana's decision, with his current position and previous experience at Sporting convincing him to head north instead.

Reflecting on this pivotal moment, Viana said: "At the time of the 2002 World Cup, I still had not decided on where I wanted to go. There were a few clubs interested in me. I spoke on the phone with Gerard Houllier at Liverpool and one of my (Portugal) team-mates, Abel Xavier, was always telling me to go there.

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"Liverpool are obviously a huge club, and I was very confused and unsure about what I wanted to do, but then I spoke to Bobby Robson and after five or ten minutes, I was clear about Newcastle. I told him that they needed to speak to Sporting about a deal, but that there would not be a big issue with my contract.

"Mr Robson said he knew me; he'd watched some games at Sporting and in the Under-21 European Championships. He also worked at Sporting and is a legend in Portugal, so I felt more close to him and he told me he would give me time to adapt to life in England without worrying.

"In the end, I joined Newcastle without visiting the place first, but it is an amazing city and the fans are very passionate about football; they live for it and the atmosphere was great."

Yet, to Liverpool's relief, Viana failed to live up to expectations in England. Across 61 outings for Newcastle, he managed just four goals and nine assists.

Despite struggling in the Premier League, the ex-midfielder harbours no regrets about his spell at St James' Park or any other chapter of his career. He added: "During my career, I never wanted to imagine 'What if?

"I'm not sad about my career. It could be better, sure, but it could be worse. I never look back and think what could be. It doesn't change anything; things happen without your control and it is important to adapt yourself to reality."