Long-Serving Defender Reveals Former Boss Told Him He 'Wasn't Good Enough' for Newcastle

Newcastle's longest-serving first-team player, Paul Dummett, has revealed that former boss Alan Pardew told him he wasn't good enough to play for Newcastle during his spell in charge of the club.

Following loan spells at Gateshead and St. Mirren, the Welsh international has gone on to make 127 appearances for the Tyneside club and featured in all bar one of last year's campaign.

Currently plying his trade under Rafa Benitez, Dummett has enjoyed more support from the former Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid boss - citing self-belief as the main reason he has made it through several setbacks.

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These setbacks include the discouraging words from current West Brom boss Pardew, and another injury lay-off that has seen him recently return to the first team after five months out.

In an interview for the official Newcastle United match day programme, Dummett explained: “I’ve always had that belief in myself and the confidence that I was good enough, and I had to prove that to certain managers [Pardew] who didn’t believe that. With the hard work I’ve put in, it’s probably why I’m still here now.”

Though Pardew's words can't have been music to Dummett's ears, the 26-year-old states that he holds nothing against his former boss for his lack of belief.

He added: “When I got told I wasn’t good enough, I just said it was up to me to prove him wrong. As soon as I said that, he knew I had the right attitude because he said: ‘That’s the attitude I want to see from my players.'"

In modest fashion, Newcastle United's longest-serving player knows he's not going to win the Ballon d'Or anytime soon and understand his role at his boyhood club and what he can bring to the team: “I was never the stand out player when I was young. 

"I know that I’m not a player who is going to bring attacking flair and goals and all that kind of stuff. But I know what I’m good at and I know what I’m not good at, and I try to do what I’m good at as best I can."