Steve Bruce's parents on why he will be a hit

Jun 7 2009 by David Old, Sunday Sun

He said: “You would always support your home team, so we would go down the road and get one of the buses to St James’s Park.

“The paddock was the best area to stand, I would pay the man a couple of bob or what was due, then lift Steve over the turnstile.

“He just wanted to see a game of football, and was Newcastle daft in those days.

“ But most of the time he was playing, either for his school, Newcastle Boys, Northumberland Boys or Wallsend Boys.”

Steve has strong family ties with the region as his wife Janet’s family live in Heaton in Newcastle’s East End.

But he has twice rejected overtures to take over at St James’s Park in favour of staying at Birmingham City – first following the sacking of Sir Bobby Robson in 2004, then in 2006 after Graeme Souness was sacked.

No man has ever managed both rival clubs, but Steve has said he had never dreamed of taking the Newcastle job.

And Joe admitted it would have been hard for Steve to take over with one of the city’s favourite sons currently in charge.

Joe added: “I think he would definitely have wanted to have a go, but then they got Shearer on board. He’s a legend so he’s got to have his run as manager.”

While most of the talk has been about football, Steve’s return to the North East has been a long time coming for his mum, Sheenagh.

His football career has seen him spend more than three decades living across the country ever since leaving for an apprenticeship with Gillingham, in Kent.

After that he played at clubs including Norwich City and Manchester United, before managing teams in Sheffield, London, Birmingham and Wigan.

So it was heartening news for Sheenagh that he was finally heading back to the region.

With a beaming smile, she said: “It’s fabulous. He’s been away for 33 years. We’ve always seen him wherever he’s been, but it will be great to have him so near to home.”