JONAS GUTIERREZ CLAIMS former Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew told him to look for another club following his recovery from testicular cancer.
The Argentina international told a Spanish newspaper Pardew, now in charge of Crystal Palace, informed him he had not future at the club shortly after his second operation towards the end of 2013.
“He told me to look for a team a moment after the second operation at the end of 2013,” the 31-year-old told Marca.
“This hurt me a lot. You have to be more human and not look only at the football side and business. I only look to the future and each of us has to look at themselves and their conscience.”
Gutierrez made his return to football last Wednesday as a substitute during the Magpies’ defeat to Man United after 17 months away from the game.
In the space of five months, Gutierrez has made a full recovery from chemotherapy and his introduction during the second-half of the Premier League fixture was a heart-warming moment for football fans around the world.
His international team mate, Fabricio Coloccini, handed him the captain’s armband as he came onto the pitch and Lionel Messi was the latest player to welcome the midfielder back to full health.
“How amazing it is to see you on the pitch again, Jonás,” Messi wrote on Facebook last night.
As he continues to work his way back to full match fitness, Gutierrez is determined to prove his inclusion by John Carver is not a token gesture but he’s there on merit.
“I’ll continue to do my best in the training and work hard to get the minutes on the pitch I want,” he added.
“I’m going to fight for my place. You get opportunities in football, and you have to be ready to take them.”
After a weekend off, Newcastle are next in action on Sunday when they travel to Goodison Park to face Everton.
