Geordie Boy Says Viduka Will Stun Toon Army

However, the Hull City striker says the Toon Army should forget the bitter taunts from the Smogs down at ICI City who call new striker Mark Viduka "a fair weather player", because Bridges claims he will take up Alan Shearer's goalscoring mantle at Newcastle United.

Comparing Shearer is ANYONE is dodgy ground. But that is the verdict of Bridges, who played alongside Viduka at Leeds United and faced him last season in the FA Cup when Hull played Boro.

North Shields-born Bridges ... always a Geordie at heart ... is tipping his old team-mate to set St James' alight.

Bridges: "Viduka is what Newcastle have been crying out for since Alan Shearer retired. I think he is a heck of a catch for United.

"You cannot have regrets in football, but for a few games before my injury Alan Smith and myself played off him and I enjoyed it.

 

"He was a terrific player, and I would have loved to have had more games alongside him.

"Newcastle United have Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins, who are quite similar with their pace. Mark would be an ideal partner for either of them.

"To be fair to Mark, when he was at Leeds I don't think we saw the best of him. Maybe the only time was in a game against Liverpool just before Christmas in 2000 when he scored four goals in our 4-3 win.

"All the time in training, tough, he would be doing unbelievable things considering the size of him. He is a big lad - so powerful and strong - but he is also a very good footballer and knows where the goal is.

"We played Boro in the cup last season and when the two lads who had been marking him came off they said `how on earth do you mark him?'

"I had warned them before the game, but they still got a surprise."