Newcastle United sign Kuqi monster for the rest of the season.

Posted on February 10th, 2011 | 26 Comments |

Shefki Kuqi.
Kuqi Monster.
After news that veteran striker, Shefki Kuqi, was in Newcastle for a medical yesterday, news today is that he has passed, and has now signed for the club in a deal until the end of the season.

The Kosovan Finnish 34 year old, who formerly played for Swansea where his contract with terminated by mutual consent last month, has been brought in as backup for current strikers, Leon Best, Peter Lovenkrands and Nile Ranger until the end of the season. In the wake of the £35 million sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool, and then the fractured cheekbone sustained by Shola Ameobi in the game against Fulham, this was felt to be a necessity by Newcastle United manager, Alan Pardew.

On the signing of Kuqi, Pardew said:

“We needed another option up front because we are a little light there due to the temporary loss of Shola, and Shefki will provide us with something different.

“He’s match-fit and knows the English game well having been in the country for the best part of 10 years. He is ready straight away and that’s what we wanted. Shefki is a good, honest pro who will give us a strong physical presence from the bench.”

Kuqi, a journeyman pro who has played for no less than 16 clubs (by my rough reckoning) in his long career so far, including two spells at Ipswich. He is probably most well known to Premiership audiences for his spell at Blackburn Rovers, where he played a total of 42 games in all competitions, scoring 8 goals. However he also played briefly for Fulham on loan. Though not a hugely prolific goalscorer in his career, he is known as a large striker (a fairly stocky 6’2″) who can be effective at holding up the ball until other attacking players can become involved. He is also a very experienced International, with no less than 62 cap for his adopteded country of Finland.

Speaking on his signing for the club, the player himself told Sky Sports News:

“I don’t really have the words to describe how happy I am. To get this chance is a massive thing for me. I am just happy to be here now and I can’t wait to start and hopefully try to do the best I can for Newcastle United.

“For me, it is a great opportunity just to be back in the Premier League again. It is something I have tasted before. Everybody knows it is the best league in the world and to be part of it and a club the size of Newcastle United, I am really proud. It’s an honour to be here.”

Welcome to Newcastle United, Shefki!

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1096 articles on this blog.

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26 Responses

  2. 6 month deal, he’ll be gone in the summer. good amount of experience for a covering player. maybe he can show ranger where the back of the net is in training.
    keep those seats warm kuqi!

  4. I think Shefki’s interpretator got the translation slightly wrong. It should’ve read:

    “I got a phone call from my agent last week who said there might be a possibility to go there [Newcastle] and when I heard this I thought ‘geddin! They’re the mugs who pay silly money to crocks, has-beens and mercenaries!’. In the beginning it was hard to believe, but in the end it all came true. To get this chance is a massive thing for me. I am just happy to be here now and I can’t wait to sit on the bench doing next to nowt for 6 months, on 20 grand a week!”

    (I just guessed the wages)

  5. Still think its a joke. Why sign on more dead wood. I’ve already spoken at length on toonsys blog that I think he’s a waste of time.
    Why spend more on wages? Get one of the kids back from the heed if we are lacking in numbers. May as well get Pedro or shearer back

  6. I remember Cookie Monster from that timeless classic ‘Sesame Street’, worky. I think it’s pronounced ‘Coochie’ though, which I believe is also American slang for the ‘vayjay’.

  8. Rodzilla says:
    February 10, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    “I think it’s pronounced ‘Coochie’ though, which I believe is also American slang for the ‘vayjay’.”

    Aye Rod, I knaa that man!

    As I wrote above, I’m blaming Hugh in the wake of the critiques on this word play coming in, since I nicked it off him.

  9. Worky i’ve sent you a little something, maybe it’d be good for the ‘morra?

    Was looking for a picture of a ‘compendium of games’, but couldn’t find the right one, just a suggestion.
    ;)

  10. How much we gonna pay this guy ?
    You can bet your ass not much.
    But you have to admit a stroke of genius, on management`s part to get this guy.
    I was never a fan of Pardew, but after this astute move, i`m just giving up, f**k it !

  11. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    February 10, 2011 at 2:52 pm

    “Worky i’ve sent you a little something, maybe it’d be good for the ‘morra?”

    Thanks Clint. I’m looking at it just now.

  12. He’s another body as back up.
    It’s not like it’s a signal of our intent on signings per se.

    There’s only so many players out there, for free, outside of the window, that know the prem, speak english & are ready to roll, with no settling in time.

    Extenuating circumstances ‘n all that.

    What would you say if the club got no one in?

    Er, actually, don’t answer that, it’s a rhetorical question.
    ;)

  13. can you remember him playing at SJP last season for swansea? I can and he looked like a real hand full against us. Can he put the ball in the back of net NO. Can he hold a ball up? Yes. Surely everone would have loved to have a proven prolific goalscorer coming in but this is not possible just now. So for me Aliadiare is a no go. Ewerthon no experience in the EPL. So Kuqui at least has experience of English football. So out of the 3 I guess the best quick fix we could have got. Probably on the cheap as well.

  15. Micky toon totally agree.It’s like you have a slab of mild cheese in the fridge but you think you need mature cheese you go to the shop and they only have lard ,you should think no thanks I’ll stick with what I’ve got,not Newcastle they say yes please it will fill a gap in the fridge. Sorry I have a lot of time on my hands at the moment.

  16. Based on what NUFC have available in the squad and academy, I venture that they had to bring in this big guy to avoid running afoul of the child labor laws.

    Still time to nose around in the USA & find a promising MLS lad, but I’d expect the learning curve might be so long that Shola will get back before the new boy would be ready. And the Yank would have to return to his USA team about the time Shola gets crocked again.

    God, how I love Newcastle.

  17. Yet another fck up, caused by the last fck up they made.

    We’re just fire fighting all the time.

  18. Fighting fire with old dog shit more like.
    Pile enough dog plop on the fire and the flames will ease.

    Xisco is surely better than this corpse??

  19. Off topic can you stay logged on the blog on an iphone without keep typing the email address To post comments?

  21. six two big lad? but ranger is six three when SA is back will ranger be left off bench for this dwarf

  22. sirjasontoon says:
    February 10, 2011 at 5:53 pm

    “Off topic can you stay logged on the blog on an iphone without keep typing the email address To post comments?”

    Jason, It seems to be a bit of a problem with the “Safari” browser on iphone, something to do with cookie permissions and not just on this site. However I’m no expert on iphones, I’ve just heard people moaning about it generally.

  24. AndyMac says:
    February 10, 2011 at 9:11 pm

    “WT – Anything planned on .org ?”

    Andy, I read that statement on it by “United for Newcastle” earlier today. I definitely want to do a ‘blog on it.

  26. Cheers for that worky-well at least I can almost type my email with me eyes closed now : )