Sam Allardyce EXCLUSIVE: Newcastle, Everton, Best Signings & More

After managing 12 different clubs and the England national team, Sam Allardyce sat down with Fanteam to discuss the latest on Newcastle signings, his Everton days, and even things like his best-ever signing.

All the eyes of the transfer market are falling on one team: Newcastle United. With that has come an endless amount of rumours and speculation, but also a great subject of chat for ex-managers like Allardyce. The former Newcastle boss believes the Kieran Trippier signing is the first of many and a "sign of things to come".

"Without Callum Wilson, they don't seem to have that goalscorer they need - I had it at Sunderland," said Allardyce.

"As much as I worked on the defence and stopping goals from coming in, I had one man who would win a game for me called Jermain Defoe."

For the Magpies next, it has to be a goal threat and a Defoe-esque player, according to their former boss.

Sticking with Newcastle, and they may have just found their goals in the wake of Wilson's latest injury. Chris Wood has swapped the relegation-fighting Burnley for the second relegation favourites, Newcastle. He remains in the drop zone and actually a place below is now former club, but the New Zealand international is just another potential key to the puzzle in this gradual growth up the English football pyramid.

"He's one of the best in this Premier League; he still has one of the best goals records by headers," Allardyce said on Wood.

"Whether he would suit Newcastle though, I'm not so sure.

"I'm not so sure they'll want to change the way they play to suit him and I'm not so sure the way they play will help him score goals."

Allardyce's most recent jobs in management have all lasted just over or just less than a season, as he's been brought into places like West Bromwich Albion and Everton to save them from the unthinkable. Back on Merseyside in 2017/18, 'Big Sam' took over Everton in 13th and they were staring in the face of the bottom three at the time and while it didn't go down as the best appointment to some Toffees, it ended up working wonders.

A seven-game unbeaten streak came with the winning start on his debut; a 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town. Everton eventually finished eighth, and Allardyce did exactly what he was brought in to do: guide the club far away from relegation and into the top 10.

Ironically enough, it remains their highest finish in the past four seasons with the former England manager even surpassing three-time winner Carlo Ancelotti in this regard, as he finished 10th last season.

But, from Allardyce's words, that was seemingly not enough.

Phil Jones hasn't even been seen in the public for two years, never mind in a starting XI. Against Wolverhampton Wanderers recently, however, the ex-Blackburn Rovers man started, played 90 minutes, and was probably the best Manchester United player on the pitch, despite losing 1-0.

The defender left the field in tears and it comes a decade on after Sir Alex Ferguson stated he could be one of the club's "greatest" players of all time, and after Allardyce let him go to Old Trafford.

'Big Sam' touched on his debut in the Premier League which came against Didier Drogba of all people, and how it was one of "the best debuts" he's ever seen.

Nicolas Anelka? Benjani? Mame Diouf? El-Hadji Diouf? Ivan Campo? Les Ferdinand?

There's one man who stands out as Allardyce's best-ever signing, and it is probably who you expected it to be.

There's one player that seems to be the go-to for Allardyce for the Second Chance Premier League second half season game.

Allardyce's pick has five goals in 13 Premier League appearances already, along with three assists. It puts him with one of the best goal contribution ratios in the top flight, and with European football and the domestic competitions ramping up, this man is set to get more game time in the league.