A NEWCASTLE icon has gone from marking wingers in the Champions League to pulling pints up the road in Blyth.
Under Sir Bobby Robson, the defender was a key cog when Toon were last gracing the biggest stage and battling at the top of the Premier League.
And the man himself has got that âspecialâ feeling again about Eddie Howeâs resurgent Mags, who are chasing a first top-four spot since 2003.
Not that he is in any doubt as to which side would come out on top.
Sat in the Masons Arms below a huge painting of Robson, 15 miles north of St Jamesâ Park, the pub landlord is sipping a âMonacoâ – one shot of Grenadine, half a pint of lemonade and half a pint of lager.
The player in question? None other than Frenchman Olivier Bernard.
And Bernard told SunSport: âWe would definitely win because we had a lethal striker in Alan Shearer.
âYou canât compare Callum Wilson to Shearer – in the air, finishing, his instinct, he was special.
âOn our day we could have whooped anyone.
âWe were top of the league at Christmas in 2000-01 and if we had avoided injuries, I think we would have done it.
âWe were young and had bags of pace so were deadly going forward.
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âAnd when we had everyone fit, we didnât concede many.
“Jonathan Woodgate was different class. It didnât matter who was next to Woody, but unfortunately he was often injured.
âWe had something special and were feared – and it feels like that again now.
âIâm starting to see comparisons, in the way they set up and drive forward.
âThis Newcastle side with a centre forward like Shearer would be top-four easily.
âI think weâll finish in Europe but fall short of the Champions League this season.â
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While Howeâs crop might not have Shearer, Robsonâs didnât have Bruno Guimaraes in midfield.
Bernard, 43, describes himself and other youngsters like Kieron Dyer, Craig Bellamy and Jermaine Jenas as the âwannabesâ in awe of Newcastle’s iconic No9.
And he reckons the Brazilian is the one to take on the Tyneside legendâs mantle in the Saudi era.
In a unique Geordie-French twang, Bernard added: âWe just wanted to be like Shearer and Brunoâs now the one everyone looks at.
âHeâs got a bit of Xavi about him. His touch and awareness is just immense.
âI followed him at my old club Lyon. Iâm surprised he signed but am obviously very happy. His touch and awareness is just different class.â
Bernard loved life in the North East so much that he has not left since arriving on trial as a striker in 2000.
He reopened the Masons in January 2020, where Blyth-born Dan Burn has been known to pop in.
Not that the giant centre-back and the current crop are out painting the Toon red as hard and as frequently as Bernard and Co.
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The Paris-born former defender laughed: âWe were wild!
âThe old guard – Alan, Gary Speed, Shay Given, Steve Harper – would stay at home.
âThe rest of us would be out for two or three days after a game enjoying town – the only days we didnât go out were Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
âBobby had an idea but he was happy to shut an eye because training was intense and we played to win every game.
âIt was the best time of my life. My missus is a Geordie and my kids were born here, so it just felt normal to stay.â
Blyth might not have the same buzzing nightlife of the Bigg Market but Bernardâs punters are a much merrier bunch these days.
He said: âThere are a few Sunderland fans but itâs a Newcastle pub.
âThey are a lot happier now! People who rejected season tickets under Mike Ashley are now desperate to get back.
âPeople would just be half-watching it when they were playing on TV before the takeover.
âEveryone was so disheartened, but everythingâs changed now.â
