Possibly now the forgotten man of Manchester United's golden generation, Butt has had a new lease of life at St James' Park
Having hoovered up medals at Manchester United, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League, and been picked out for praise by Pele after the 2002 World Cup, the defensive midfielder moved to Newcastle under Bobby Robson in July 2004.
A troubled, injury-ravaged season – and new signings by new boss Graeme Souness –prompted a loan to Birmingham for the entirety of 2005/06, although he walked out in February 2006 upon discovering that Steve Bruce’s son Alex had been selected ahead of him.
Since his return to St James’ Park, Butt’s no-nonsense approach has provided the Newcastle side with some much-needed steel and earned him a contract extension until summer 2009.