Yes it was a free transfer, but they paid his wages for a year knowing he may never return to the form he showed as a youngster.
He is back in the first team squad, but we have yet to see anything like the performances that had Stuart Pearce tipping him for a full England cap.
The Gosling to Aston Villa rumours have started, and we belive Alan Pardew would be willing to put a price on the winger's head.
The Sunday People’s Janine Self. “It makes sense from Villa’s point of view, because when Dan Gosling appeared on the scene at 16 with Plymouth he was going to be the bees’ knees.
"He had terrible injury problems at Newcastle.
"I don’t like the fact that he’s unhappy at not playing: he’s been injured, why would he expect to go [straight] back into the team?
"If Newcastle are prepared to sell for £2m then I would have thought, yes, very much on Villa’s radar.
”There is more truth than rumour in this story".