Seydou Doumbia arrived at Newcastle United on the final day of the winter window of 2016 - having scored 118 goals in 185 games for previous for clubs in Switzerland, Russia and Italy - then Newcastle boss Steve McClaren labelled the striker a 'natural goalscorer.'

But it didn't work out for Doumbia at St James' Park - and for the first time in an exclusive interview with Chronicle Live, the Ivory Coast international shares his view on why.

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Ask Newcastle United fans for players they class as flops, Seydou Doumbia will rank high on the list.

With Newcastle 18th in the Premier League, and having netted only 25 Premier League goals in 23 games, Doumbia arrived on loan.

He was unveiled holding a Newcastle United branded football, sitting fully clothed in the shower at the club's training ground.

The quirky photoshoot was probably a sign of things to come - 29 minutes of first-team football was all that was to follow - the forward shares a laugh at the situation now.

New loan Seydou Doumbia poses for photographs holding a Newcastle United Football
New loan Seydou Doumbia poses for photographs holding a Newcastle United Football

He's softly spoken, and polite but needs a translator to help him answer the questions, of which his answers are short and straight to the point.

Upon his arrival in 2016, Steve McClaren described him as a 'natural goalscorer' and while it hadn't worked out for Doumbia with a big money move to AS Roma the season before, his record still stood as one of the best in Europe, and the forward was sure he could hit the ground running.

"I was confident because looking back at the seasons before, I used to scored goals. However when I arrived at Newcastle, I was not 100%.

"The transfer had been done at the end of the transfer window like always in England.

"I heard about the interest from the club and Steve McClaren, and I instantly accepted the challenge because the Premier League is one of the best in the world.

"I was happy to sign! Even if it didn’t work very well after."

Doumbia reveals he knew a bit about Newcastle due to his international team-mate, the late Cheick Tioté, speaking fondly about the club.

But while he was happy to move, he hadn't played since December 12 due to a winter break in the Italian season. Having arrived on February 1, he did so lacking the match fitness to make an immediate impact.

Such was the desperate situation McClaren found himself in, Doumbia was put straight into the match-day squad two days after arriving against Everton - and then again for the clash against West Brom - but failed to get off the bench in either.

He waited two weeks to make his debut - a 20 minute cameo against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a game which saw United ship five goals.

Doumbia smiles when asked about his debut, and recounts 'nearly scoring' but you'll struggle to find the chance in any match report given how rampant Chelsea were that night.

It was a devastating performance, and one which many thought should have spelt the end for McClaren at United but he survived for another two weeks.

The feeling at the time was that McClaren was worthing standing by, that his methods would eventually lead to points.

Head coach Steve McClaren (R) gives instructions to his player Seydou Doumbia (L) at Newcastle United training in La Manga
Head coach Steve McClaren (R) gives instructions to his player Seydou Doumbia (L) at Newcastle United training in La Manga

The players still backed the manager - and Doumbia was a big fan, putting his lack of game-time down to McClaren's exit.

"Because the coach changed quickly, simply because of that," Doumbia replies with no hesitation when asked why he didn't manage more than three games for United.

"It was a pleasure to work with Steve every day, I got a lot of joy from it but unfortunately he left us quickly.

"As I say, I was not 100% when I arrived at Newcastle, and the fact that the coach changed very soon didn't help me."

McClaren's side returned from a training camp in Spain and saw his side fall to Stoke City - in which Doumbia played just six minutes - his final appearance under the head coach.

United were then defeated 3-1 by AFC Bournemouth, and eight days later Rafa Benitez was confirmed as his replacement.

Many saw this as a fresh start but Doumbia managed just three minutes under Benitez, bringing his time on Tyneside to a sorry end without another appearance in the first team squad.

There were whispers that Doumbia's attitude was poor, and that his work ethic did not impress Benitez but the striker says his lack of game time was just a 'question of choice.'

"It was a professional relation," Doumbia replies when asked about Benitez.

"I had no problem with him.

"When he arrived I was still on a preparation time.

"If I didn’t play it was just a question of choice and I respected it."

Benitez took charge of nine further games - going the last six unbeaten - but by then the damage had already been done, and the Spaniard failed to save Newcastle from the drop.

Looking at the situation as a relative outsider, Doumbia felt the club lacked that special something to save the club from relegation.

"Everything was complicated," he admitted.

"The atmosphere was negative and we felt it.

"I think that we should have won maybe two or three games in a row to change this negative atmosphere but unfortunately we didn’t make it.

"But the fans were amazing.

"Even if we were losing our games the stadium was always full, they were incredible."

Doumbia returned to AS Roma but was shipped out immediately back to Switzerland, and to FC Basel where he won the league and cup double - scoring 20 goals on the way.

A move to Sporting Lisbon failed to have the same success, as did a brief spell in Spain with Girona and Sion - in between a bizarre story in which he was linked with a return back to Tyneside in February 2018.

But does he look back on his time at Newcastle, and think what if?

"There's no regret," he maintains, "but an experience.

"Of course I wanted to score more goals, have success and stay a longer time but I just kept the good experience and I do not regret my time in Newcastle."

This interview was originally published in November 2019.