Arriving at Newcastle United from Girondins de Bordeaux for just over £5m, Henri Saivet was bought with a lot of hype and promise around him.
He had been one of the more talked about youngsters as he came through the ranks of the Ligue 1 side, but injuries really took their toll on him, forcing him to gradually play more in midfield than in attack.
A series of loans followed, with Saint-Etienne, Sivasspor and Bursaspor all taking the player temporarily off Newcastle’s hands, and the player eventually ran down his contract this summer to find himself a free agent.
Still without a club, the Senegal international sat down with Girondins4Ever to have a chat where he first discussed his current situation.
He said: “I finished my Newcastle contract on June 30th, and now I’m free. Otherwise, I’m good, I keep fit, I train. We’re getting ready for a new challenge. I’m waiting. I feel very good. I continue to work”.
Admitting he had a few touches in Turkey, the former Newcastle man is simply wanting to find the right project, which wasn’t the one at St James’ Park.
Looking back at his move there, the player said: “The Premier League was indeed a dream and an opportunity at that time. Bordeaux needed a bit of money at that time. They formed me, and from the moment everyone found themselves… To have the chance of playing in the Premier League, even today, any player wants to go. Just to be able to play against the biggest teams in the world (…)
“There is nothing comparable to the Premier League. At the time, it was an opportunity, a dream, a thing you had to hold onto. I have no regrets. It allowed me to discover this league and then discover the Turkish league. They are periods you have to take into consideration because it can sometimes open new opportunities”.
During his five years at Newcastle, Saivet only ever made eight appearances, during which he scored the one goal, in one of his three Premier League starts in a 3-2 win over West Ham back in December 2017.
