Newcastle United spent £5m on me - one of my biggest regrets is only playing 14 times

When Rafa Benitez splashed out £5m on an unheard of goalkeeper from Gent, subsequently handing the shot-stopper a five-year deal, Newcastle fans thought they may have unearthed a hidden gem as they plotted their escape from the Championship.

Fast forward just 359 days and Matz Sels was putting pen to paper on a season-long loan deal with Anderlecht in his native Belgium. In total, the goalkeeper would play just 14 times for the Magpies - and four times for the club's under-21 side - before departing for good.

Sels was back in action against his former club at the City Ground on Sunday as Newcastle netted three times in their win over Nottingham Forest. The 32-year-old has rebuilt his career following his disappointing stint on Tyneside and now commands the respect of Nuno Espirito Santo as he holds down a No 1 spot in the Premier League.

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Sels still harbours regrets over his previous spell in England but admits his Newcastle struggles paved the way for a more successful stint when he returned to the country with Forest.

Speaking to Belgian outlet De Morgen, he said: "Why it is working out now [with Nottingham Forest] and not at Newcastle United eight years ago? It was my first time abroad [at Newcastle United] and the start was very difficult.

“That was one of my biggest regrets. I wasn’t able to turn around that negative perception back then. I don’t look back on that period with resentment because every football player has a period [such as that]… something like that makes you stronger.

“The most important thing is how you deal with those moments. I have had very good seasons in France in recent years [five and a half seasons at Strasbourg], however, it went more under the radar.

“I don’t mind that, it has brought me to where I am now. For 99 percent of football players, the Premier League is the dream. The intensity [in the Premier League] I haven’t seen anywhere else. Every day I work hard to prove that I am worthy of playing in the Premier League.”