Nolberto Solano spent many years in the north east of England(Image: GLENN CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images)

Newcastle United and West Ham are set to meet in the Premier League and one surprising national team coach might well be tuning into his former clubs' showdown.

Nolberto Solano played for both the Magpies and the Hammers through the late 1990s and 2000s, spending a year in London and two spells on Tyneside. Solano made 315 appearances for Newcastle, scoring 48 goals and assisting 78 times from a right-midfield position.

The now-50-year-old won Player of the Year with the Magpies and went on to spend a year at West Ham, making 23 appearances and scoring four goals. Solano has since made the venture into management, and his next career move has taken a few unusual turns.

Spells in his homeland of Peru and Canada followed his retirement from professional football and he even had a role as assistant coach of the Peruvian national team in 2015. In May 2024, Solano returned to the north east and was appointed manager of non-league Blyth Spartans.

However, his time in charge...