Continuing our 'Five Things' series on the Magpies summer signings, we take a look at commanding defender Carl Dickinson...
1. He was integral to Stoke City's promotion to the Premier LeagueHe made 27 appearances in a season filled with glory for Stoke City in what has proven to be their last in the Championship since 2008 (they have remained a Premier League side ever since). They finished 2nd on the final day of the season to return to the top flight for the first time in 23 years.
After promotion, he went on to make 5 further appearances in the Premier League.
2. He has played abroad...
During his time at Stoke City, Dickinson went on loan to Knattspyrnufélagið Víkingur (don't ask us to pronounce it!) in the Icelandic Premier League.
Whilst there he made two appearances for the side.
3. He's a warrior.
No more proof is needed than this story from his time he spent at Coventry on loan, in a match against Bournemouth at Dean Court.
The game was no more than five minutes old, when until he was absolutely flattened in an early aerial exchange which necessitated over five minutes of treatment from the Coventry City medics and a somewhat gruesome repair job on the pitch. A pair of groundsmen used a bucket of sand to soak up the pool of blood. But Dickinson simply pulled on a clean shirt and got straight into the thick of the action, helping City earn a the win against their then high-flying opponents.
“To be honest I don’t know what happened,” said the no-nonsense defender (who also revealed his nose didn’t stop bleeding until the morning after). “I just remember heading the ball and something whacked me in the face. Some people said it was an elbow but, to be fair, I think he was the smallest lad on the pitch."
“It’s part and parcel of the game and it doesn’t matter if he meant it or not because at the end of the day we got three points.
“I’m not sure if my nose is broken yet because of the swelling but the worst thing was they couldn’t stop it bleeding. There was a big puddle on the pitch. They just shoved a couple of plugs up and I got on with it but it was still bleeding all the way home on the coach and didn’t stop until the following morning.
“But I feel fine and was in training yesterday as normal.”
Remind us not to mess with Carl Dickinson...
4. He's played for both clubs in the Potteries
Carl is in an exclusive club, in that he has played for both Stoke City and Port Vale, who are fierce rivals.
Although the last league match between the two sides was in 2002, the rivalry is very much alive, and only a handful of players have played for both since that day.
5. Once, when team mate at the time Tom Pope was asked what he would buy 'Dicko' for Christmas, he said...
"A volume control. He never stops shouting, and I've never heard such rubbish in my life!"
You can be the judge of that... his latest interview is on Magpie Player HD!