GRAEME SOUNESS has revealed he never should have taken the manager’s role at Newcastle United as he reflected on his ill-fated 17- month spell on Tyneside.

Souness was appointed by Freddy Shepherd as Magpies manager in 2004 to succeed Sir Bobby Robson, but a disastrous reign came to an end less than two years later – with the former Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool manager failing to take another managerial role in the seven years that have followed.

Souness, now a pundit on Sky Sports, feels leaving Ewood Park to take the Newcastle job in the first place was an error of judgement, aiming broadsides at Shepherd in the process.

“I definitely regret leaving.”

Souness told the Blackburn- based Lancashire Telegraph.

“I had four of my happiest years in management at Blackburn and I do think now it was a mistake to leave.

“Newcastle had gone almost 50 years without winning a major trophy in England and like many people before me and after me, I thought I could be the one who could win that trophy.

“I had won 11 trophies in three countries, and 25 trophies in my career and a player and a manager, and I thought I could be the man to do it.

“But if I hadn’t left Blackburn then, I would probably still be in management now.

“My time at Newcastle soured my experience of management.”

Souness’ tenure at St James’ Park was marked by a string of unsuccessful dealings in the transfer market, including Albert Luque, who cost the club £9.5m and Jean- Alain Boumsong at £8.2m, as well as signing Michael Owen for £17m from Real Madrid just weeks into his reign on Tyneside.

He was charged with dismantling Robson’s squad, which finished third the season previous, and fourth and fifth in consecutive seasons and steered the club to their then lowest Premier League position (14th).

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Manchester's Ruud van Nistelrooy fends off the attentions of Newcastle's Jean-Alain Boumsong

His expensively-assembled squad failed to live up to expectations, and with the club seemingly hurtling towards relegation in 2005-6 after a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the February with Newcastle in 14th place, Shepherd pulled the plug, promoted Glenn Roeder from within to see the Magpies finish in seventh, sealing an unlikely Inter-Toto Cup spot.

Souness went on to praise Blackburn chief executive John Williams while criticising a lack of support from Shepherd, who went on to oversee Newcastle’s subsequent two managerial appointments – Roeder and Sam Allardyce – before selling up to Mike Ashley in 2007.

Souness said: “I had tremendous support from John Williams.

“He would come down to the training ground every lunchtime, or certainly three or four times a week, and any air any concerns he might have had. It would drive me mad sometimes.

“But I knew it always would come from the heart and I was cool about that.

“If he had anything to say, he would say it to my face. At most clubs it isn’t like that.

“That’s not always the case at clubs, certainly it wasn’t at my next club.’’