Kevin Nolan furious that Alan Pardew did not try harder to keep him at Newcastle United – report

EPL : Kevin Nolan , Newcastle United v Liverpool (Getty Images)

Related Links

Teams

Players

For all the latest reports and transfer rumours, visit our dedicated section here

Former Newcastle United midfielder Kevin Nolan has apparently spoken of his fury at Magpies manager Alan Pardew for not trying harder to prevent him leaving St James’ Park.

Nolan, who has joined newly-relegated West Ham United for £4 million, was not offered the long-term contract extension he wanted, and felt he had no choice but to drop into the Championship.

A source close to Nolan told The News of the World:  “Kevin is disappointed with Alan Pardew.
 
“Kevin is especially disappointed because he made a point of supporting the manager when he first arrived at Newcastle.

“He thinks Pardew paid lip-service to keeping him at Newcastle.

“He feels let down and he’s furious with his former manager. Kev expected him to try harder to keep him at the club during contract talks.

“The incentives they wanted put in Kev’s contract were all about how high up the league table Newcastle finished.

“They are managers’ clauses, not players’. If they’d wanted him to be manager, they should have given him the job.”

Contract talks broke down, and Nolan is understood to have felt let down by Pardew’s perceived lack of support for a player who contributed twelve goals from midfield and was club captain.

Stressing Nolan’s backing for Pardew when he was appointed as Toon manager following the controversial sacking of Chris Hughton, the source added: “It was a very difficult time for Alan Pardew to take over and the support of the club captain was crucial.

“He needed Kevin Nolan on board and Kevin made sure the dressing room moved forward with the new manager.

“When the crunch came, the manager did not reciprocate the support and that was very disappointing.

“Kevin was a big character who helped him settle in and that was forgotten.”