Demba Ba has now made public his Newcastle United dream

Demba Ba, a former Newcastle United striker, has recently opened up about his time at the club. At 41 years old and now retired from playing, Ba reflects on his Newcastle United career, which was both a positive and a wasted opportunity. He joined Newcastle United for free in 2011/12, after Graham Carr noted his relegation clause if West Ham were relegated.

Ba scored 29 goals in 54 appearances, contributing significantly to United's top five finish in that season. However, despite his impressive performance, Mike Ashley, the club's owner, failed to offer him improved contracts and resisted any net spends to build on the successful season. As a result, Newcastle United nearly went from top five to immediate relegation, only avoiding it with a win in their final away game of the 2012/13 season at QPR.

Ba moved to Chelsea halfway through the season when they paid his £7.5m release clause, which Ashley also refused to meet. This decision marked a wasted opportunity for the former United star. Nowadays, Ba is the Director of Football at Le Havre, a Ligue 1 club, appointed this summer. He enjoys his role, even though the club currently sits at the bottom of Ligue 1.

During an interview with French media, Ba expressed his desire to learn from every match and eventually focus on his academy in Senegal and travel. Ba also shared with So Foot that he dreams of attending a match at St James' Park, a place he hasn't visited since leaving Newcastle United.