Eight players who crossed the Tyne-Wear divide

The Tyne–Wear derby returns to St James’ Park for the first time in a decade as Newcastle United host Sunderland tomorrow in the Premier League.

By Liam Rafferty

Ahead of the clash, here’s a look at eight players who have featured for both sides of this fierce rivalry - some far more memorable than others.

Shay Given

Often overlooked in this context, largely due to his short spell on Wearside compared to his long Newcastle career.

Given made 17 appearances for Sunderland in 1996 while on loan from Blackburn Rovers.

The club hoped to sign him permanently, but it was Sir Kenny Dalglish’s Newcastle who secured the Irish goalkeeper.

He went on to spend 12 years at St James’ Park, making 354 appearances.

Lee Clark

A boyhood Newcastle fan, Clark began his career with his hometown club and spent seven years in black and white.

In 1997, Sunderland manager Peter Reid persuaded him to make the controversial switch.

Clark spent two seasons at the Stadium of Light, making 74 appearances.

His time there ended in controversy after he was seen supporting Newcastle at the 1999 FA Cup final, wearing a t-shirt that insulted Sunderland - effectively ending his career with the club.

After a spell at Fulham, he returned to Newcastle for a final season in 2005.

Louis Saha

The French forward is best known for his spells with Fulham, Manchester United and Everton, but he also featured on both sides of the Tyne–Wear divide.

He joined Newcastle on loan from Metz in 1999, making 12 appearances before returning to France. Fulham then signed him for £2.1 million the following year.

More than a decade later, Sunderland brought him back to the North East - and, coincidentally, he made the same number of Premier League appearances for them as he had for Newcastle (11).

In total, he played 14 times in all competitions for the Black Cats before moving on to Lazio.

Titus Bramble

Often remembered as something of a “meme” figure during his time at Newcastle United, he nevertheless spent five seasons on Tyneside.

Signed by Sir Bobby Robson from Ipswich Town for £6 million following their relegation in 2002, he quickly developed a reputation for inconsistency and costly mistakes.

One of the most telling moments came in 2005 at Anfield, during Michael Owen’s first return after leaving Liverpool.

When Steven Taylor went off injured, Graeme Souness was forced to bring him on - prompting ironic cheers from the home crowd, who viewed the substitution as a boost to their chances.

He later joined Wigan Athletic on a free transfer, where he spent three years.

One standout moment came back at Anfield in 2008, when he scored an equaliser in a 1–1 draw against Liverpool, denting their title challenge.

In 2010, Sunderland signed him for £1 million under manager Steve Bruce.

He went on to spend three seasons at the Stadium of Light, making 51 appearances before being released.

Andy Cole

A Newcastle cult hero, Cole was prolific after joining in 1993, helping the club win promotion and then scoring 34 goals in their first Premier League season as they finished third.

His 1995 move to Manchester United shocked supporters, but he later resurfaced on Wearside in 2006, joining Sunderland under his ex-Manchester United teammate Roy Keane.

His spell there was brief, making just eight appearances.

Jack Colback

Arguably the most high-profile example of a direct move from Sunderland to Newcastle in recent years.

He began his professional career at Sunderland in 2008, going on to make 135 appearances over six seasons.

Despite growing up locally and being linked with Newcastle as a fan, he later revealed on the Undr the Cosh podcast that he didn’t strongly support either club, and that his move was motivated by career progression rather than allegiance.

He joined Newcastle in 2014 and spent six seasons on Tyneside before being released in 2020.

During his later years at the club, manager Rafael Benítez froze him out of the first team, with the midfielder training with the reserves.

He subsequently had two loan spells at Nottingham Forest, who eventually signed him on a free transfer.t

Danny Rose

He featured for both Newcastle United and Sunderland on loan, without signing permanently for either club.

His first spell came with Sunderland in 2012, where he impressed as a rising English talent before returning to Tottenham Hotspur -later winning the club’s Young Player of the Season award in 2013.

Rose also started for Tottenham in the Champions League final defeat to Liverpool.

The following season, as shown in Amazon Prime’s All or Nothing series, he told then Tottenham manager José Mourinho and club director Daniel Levy that he wanted to leave - even suggesting a move to AC Milan.

However, instead of linking up with Stefano Pioli, he returned to the North East, joining Newcastle on loan under then manager Steve Bruce, where he made 13 appearances during a half-season spell.

Javier Manquillo

The Spaniard first arrived in the North East during the 2016/17 season, joining Sunderland on loan from Atlético Madrid.

However, his time on Wearside ended in disappointment (for some) as the club suffered relegation.

There was a clause in the deal requiring Sunderland to make the move permanent for £9.5 million if he reached 25 appearances - but he fell just short, featuring 22 times.

Just a couple of months later, following Sunderland’s drop and Newcastle’s promotion, Benítez brought him to St James’ Park for £4.5 million.

He went on to spend several seasons on Tyneside, becoming a reliable squad option, although opportunities became more limited later on following the arrival of Kieran Trippier.

He eventually left Newcastle in 2024, reuniting with Benítez at Celta Vigo.

From brief loans to controversial transfers, these players all experienced both sides of one of English football’s fiercest rivalries - adding extra spice whenever Newcastle and Sunderland meet.