Reoeder tried to sign the England international, but allegedly the deal was knocked back because the club would not pay his high wages.
Roeder: "I find myself often repeating myself, but I cannot think of another free transfer signing last August who is better than Antoine. Maybe Sol Campbell at Portsmouth as he was the two outstanding Bosman last summer.
"I cannot praise Antoine enough as a man or as a footballer. He thoroughly deserved the goal he got. It gave us the two-goal cushion again that I wanted to take back to St James' Park."