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James Perch knows just how hard it can be to get the Newcastle United faithful on your side.

Arriving from Nottingham Forest for £1million in July 2010, Perch struggled to endear himself to supporters.

He notched up five yellow cards in his first five games - a Premier League record - and scored an own goal as Stoke City beat United 2-1 in only his sixth game.

"I didn't start well," Perch admits with a smile.

"But, once they saw me shift from right-back, to left-back to centre-half, to midfielder - putting in a shift, putting in 110 per cent every time - they really appreciated it, and that's how I turned them around in the end.

"That is what I say to anyone who asks about Newcastle fans - they just want effort, and I probably realise that more than most."

Having become a crucial part of the Nottingham Forest side battling for promotion, Perch had quietly gone about making a name for himself in the Championship as a versatile player.

United had watched him and liked what they saw. He was a solid and dependable professional who, at the age of 25, had clocked up more than 400 league appearances.

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Then-manager Chris Hughton had wanted him to join Newcastle six months earlier, but Forest boss Billy Davies was not prepared to allow him to leave - leaving Perch fearful that his dream of playing in the Premier League might have gone.

"When I first heard about United's interest, I went and told Billy Davies and I told him that I want to join Newcastle," Perch told ChronicleLive.

"He didn't let me go for whatever reason - I think he thought I was going to play a big part in getting promoted that season - so I thought I might have missed my chance.

"But having known Colin Calderwood, who was assistant to Chris Hughton, he told me not to worry and 'we'll try to do it again in the summer'.

"I just got my head down at Forest, and luckily it played out that I signed."

Perch remains an unassuming character, softly spoken yet assured in what he says.

He arrived, as many people who play in his position do, with little fanfare, brought in to do the job which doesn't steal the headlines.

Hughton was overjoyed by Perch's arrival, proclaiming his 'certainty' that he would improve squad.

United finished seven points above the drop zone in 12th, but just months later Hughton had been shown the door.

"Chris is just what you see - very straight forward, honest. Very pleasant. He's just an all-round nice guy, who was very organised at Newcastle," Perch added.

"He just got on with it, that's why I think he got all that affection from the fans; they knew how tough the chairman was with the spending, everyone knew Chris was against it, but he never came out and blamed anybody, or pointed to the board.

"He just got on with his job and did the best that he could - that's what the Newcastle fans expect and that's what they got."

There had been rumblings that Hughton was due to be sacked by United even though he had led them to fifth in the table after 11 games.

A run of five games without a win saw them slide down to 11th, and Hughton was dismissed following a 3-1 defeat to West Brom, something which Perch admits he was shocked by.

"It was [a shock] because we weren't even doing that bad, it just looked like the writing was on the wall from the start with Mike Ashley or whoever not being happy Chris was there, and it was inevitable he was going to go, unfortunately he lost his job, but it's great to see him doing so well at Brighton now."

The club, in a statement, claimed it was now time for an 'individual with more managerial experience is needed to take the club forward' - and former West Ham manager Alan Pardew arrived.

Pardew led the club to a 12th-place finish, and then into the Europa League with a fifth-placed finish the season after.

"There were differences between them [Hughton and Pardew] but there were similarities - both were very organised.

"Alan Pardew coming in freshened it up - obviously when a new manager comes in, no matter the circumstances, they do things differently, they put their stamp on things and the Newcastle squad seem to take to it.

"It gave us the fifth-place finish, which was unbelievable."

United just seemed to gel, and with counter-attacking football which excited the fans. A team made up of Yohan Cabaye, Jonas Gutierrez, Demba Ba and Hatem Ben Arfa seemed to play with no fear.

Perch recounts the magic of Ben Arfa, and admits then when it came to training he hoped he wouldn't be against him.

"Ben Arfa by a mile," he replies when asked who stood out.

"I think everyone knows the talent he's got, if he just had the mental ability of a top player, like Sergio Aguero, I think he would have been held at that elite level.

"He was magic; in training you were hoping you were on his side so he didn't embarrass you, but he was fantastic.

"He didn't always do it in training because of that laziness about him but on a Saturday; but, if he was on it, he could win you the game."

The arrival of Papiss Cisse in January was the catalyst which secured United's position in the top five, as he hit 13 goals in his 14 games.

"When Pappiss came in, he just hit the ground running - his first game against Villa and he scored - it was 'just wow' - everything he touched seemed to go in.

"He was unorthodox the way he scored goals but he knew where the back of the net was and he was brilliant at it.

"Demba was very similar. It was a shame for Demba because he got shifted out onto the left when Papiss came in - I think he wanted to be a number nine as well - but they still scored a hatful of goals for us."

With just a few games of the 2011/12 campaign remaining, there was even talk of a Champions League finish, but not within the dressing room at St James' Park.

"The top four? It never really got a mention! It kind of went under the radar that we even finished - there wasn't really big a deal made about it, or I can't remember that anyway!

"You say that now, United to finish fifth, it would be amazing because of the top six and the fact no-one is going to break into it. Although there wasn't really a top six back then, it was still very competitive - we finished above Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton - to do that wasn't easy but at the time, you didn't even think about it, you just got on with it.

"I still look at it now, and think, 'wow, we finished fifth in the Premier League' - it was brilliant."

Like the current Newcastle squad, the work ethic of the side is key to any success on the pitch - something Perch feels the Magpie squad of 2011/12 shared.

"It was massive to have leaders - we had Colo who was captain, Jonas - they were very close, he was brilliant, and I still speak to him now.

"We had Joey for a short while until he left - we just had a hard working squad and we knew what were were - we weren't world beaters, we had a couple, but most of us weren't, but we were grafters and that is what we did out on the pitch."

The summer that followed United's fifth place finish saw Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton - the sides that finished below them - collectively spend more than £120m on players; United spent just £6.7m on Vurnon Anita.

Within the United camp, there was an air of frustration that the club didn't kick-on and establish themselves within the top five.

"It was frustrating at the time but it's more frustrating now when I look back - if only we had a bit more investment we could have held onto that 5th place or who knows gone on a little more, or not fallen as far down as we did.

"Mike Ashley probably thought we got to 5th with that squad, we can do it again but it's such a competitive league that you can't stand still. You have to keep improving and we didn't do that."

The Magpies couldn't find the balance between playing two games in a week, with the Europa League games on a Thursday quickly impacting on their league form.

As the European campaign got into full fold, United lost 10 games out of 13 from November, with fans starting to turn on Pardew.

The faithful however enjoy their trips to the continent - with takeovers of town squares in Bruges, Bordeaux and Benfica particularly highlights.

Perch admits that he had seen nothing like it.

"I loved it. It was my first time traveling to play European games - it was great.

"We were playing on a Thursday night, so we would go on the Tuesday, train on the Wednesday, play the Thursday and come back that night.

"It was just a great time going away to all these nice cities - we went to Russia, to Bordeaux, played Brugge - it was just nice going to these places and different places.

"We would go for a walk around the city bump into all the fans you would see them when you were walking around.

"It was fantastic of them to travel all that way. As a fan, it must be amazing to go and watch your team do well abroad."

United finished second in their group before heading to Ukraine and then Russia to reach the quarter finals against Benfica.

The Magpies lost 3-1 in the Stadium of Light but the Cisse's away goal was enough to send the away end into celebration, and as the return leg at St James' Park neared there was a belief amongst fans that the wait for a trophy was over.

Yet in the dressing room, the focus on just taking each game as it came.

"It never got mentioned about winning it. It was tough to get out of the group at first but when we got going we really did well.

"The game against Benfica, I played in the away leg, and it was an unbelievable experience because we played against some great players - they were a world class team.

"It was just great to be out there. Then we drew at home - it was tough to take, but we had such a good journey, no one-fancied us to go that far."

United drew 1-1 in the return leg, and the hopes of trophy win were over - but the fight for safety wasn't. Not until the penultimate game of the season was United's Premier League status confirmed - thanks to a 2-1 win over QPR.

But finishing just five points above the drop zone was a reminder of the delicate nature of the top flight.

"We lost a few players - Demba went in January, all that unrest with him.

"A few not getting on with the manager, we had lost a few players and it was tough playing Thursday and then playing Sunday - we didn't have a massive squad.

"It was tough for those who did. I know teams do it now but they've got 25-30 men squads."

Perch's memories of the Europa League adventure were to be his last experienced in the black and white shirt as he moved to Wigan in July 2013 - an exit he admits he didn't want.

"In that last year that I was there, I was promised a new contract from Pardew, and he said 'Oh we can sign it in the January', so I said okay fair enough then January came.

"I think we signed Moussa Sissoko and others - so I went from going to sign a new contract to being pulled in by the gaffer when the new players signed and him telling me 'Mike isn't going to offer you a new contract now.'

"So I played the rest of that season knowing that and then when Wigan came in - I thought well Newcastle obviously don't want me there, so I will move on.

"I wish I had stayed and fought for my place but I couldn't risk staying and Mike not wanting me to be there and me not playing for a year."

Yet Perch left United with fond memories - although with only one goal to him name, a strike against Manchester United, something Perch admits he continues to tell people about today, and is his personal favourite memory in a United shirt.

"It was a game that we went into, talking about how they were going to play.

"I remember John Carver saying if Demba [Ba] gets it then shoot across goal and De Gea will parry it out - and that's actually how I got my goal!

"We probably scored too early - they got frustrated, it wound them-up slightly, and they came out and did well.

"It was heartbreak in the last minute.

"It's horrible, there is no worse way to get beat than in the last minute - people will probably say 'it was against Man U, you should have got beat anyway' but that night we put in a great shift and deserved more.

"It's when you deserve more and get beat then get lucky and get beat, and I think definitely we deserved more from that game."

Looking back at his time with Newcastle, Perch is keen to each moment, and admits he wants to return to St James' Park to watch United when he hangs up his boots - if only to prove to his children that he played in such a stadium!

"It was surreal really - when you're in it, you just get on with it. You don't think much of it as a professional because you've got a job to do but now looking back it was unbelievable - I can't believe I did it to be honest.

"I just can't wait to go back up there and watch games with my kids - and show them I used to play there because they probably won't believe me now!"