No player would be more prominent on Newcastle's list over the past 10 years than Argentinian midfielder Jonás Gutiérrez. Famous for his signature move of putting on a Spider-Man mask after scoring, he is also a real-life hero, beating cancer to its pulp.
During the 2013-14 season, he had to battle malignant testicular cancer resulting in his one-year hiatus and the loss of one of his testicles.
Being able to beat the cancer was already vital for him, but what he did afterwards was even more remarkable.
In the last game of the season that would determine the team's future, he became the cult hero in the direst minutes and the legend who will always have a place in the hearts of the Toon Army. So let's find this out with Main Stand.
Calling St James Park his home
Gutiérrez might be more memorable for the opposing team's fans as the guy who liked to put on a Spider-Man mask after scoring goals.
However, for Newcastle's fans, this eccentric Argentinian player is a superhero who has had an exceptional bond with the Toon Army since his first day at St. James' Park.
Moving into the Premier League in 2008, Gutiérrez is a diligent midfielder who made his name while playing for Spanish side Real Mallorca.
Many teams in the Premier League, like Portsmouth and Liverpool, recognized his performance and also invited him to come for a trial with them.
Eventually, Gutiérrez moved to Newcastle, performing in his debut to draw with Manchester United in the opening match of the 2008-09 season. His play that day was one of the best debut matches in the history of the Premier League.
Gutiérrez became dearly beloved by the Newcastle fans in a short time for his dedication to constantly offending the opponents on the field and his fun-loving personality.
Putting on a Spider-Man's mask after scoring a goal is one of his ways to share happiness with his fans.
It was his signature celebration during his time in Spain, and carried it to the Premier League. However, due to a stricter rule, he would always be handed a yellow card every time he put the mask on.
"I just wanted to bring a bit of fun to the game," Gutiérrez said.
"I watched Spiderman at the cinema and started talking to a man with his two young children at the end of the film. I could see how much they had enjoyed the movie, so I promised them that I would celebrate as Spiderman the next time I scored. I kept the mask in my underwear; I remember it was a little sweaty. But I only did it once," Gutiérrez explained the origin of his celebration move.
"All the people have been telling me I must do it again when I score, but the problem is that they have changed the rules, and if I did it now, I would probably get a yellow card," he said.
"I can still pretend to shoot webs out of my wrists, but I don't think I can put on a mask now. It would mean getting a yellow card, and that's too important."
Although unable to put on a mask as often as he used to, Gutiérrez still holds on to his simple mindset of doing everything he can to share happiness with himself and others.
For the Magpies' fans, he's more than just a football player, but also a man who traveled far away to bring happiness to the fans and the people in the town where everything revolves around football.
But who would think that a guy who had always brought joy to the people like Gutiérrez would meet an ill fate that would frown upon the football world?
The most challenging game he had to play
Before being diagnosed with testicular cancer, Gutiérrez had paralysis during his childhood. It was a secret known to a few.
The thing that cured him was football.
"I was told to play football to protect my body," he explained.
"When I was three years old, I developed a form of paralysis and, even though I was too young to remember it properly, I couldn't move the left side of my body.
"The doctors said it wasn't necessarily serious, but, of course, it wasn't normal either. (So) they said it could come back in the future and that to avoid problems, I should take up (a) sport."
He took up football but, unfortunately, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2013.
The treatment was brutal, for he had to remove his left testicle to prevent cancer from spreading.
"I first felt the symptoms, I believe in May, the last match of the season against Arsenal, with Sagna," he recalled. "When I got injured, from that time on, I started to feel pain. And then, months after that, I had inflammation."
"I went back to the doctor, they ran some tests and told me I had the disease."
His situation was dire because the tumor growing in him was very severe. Even though he removed one of his testicles, the treatment still had to go on. Not long after, his kidney started to hurt, and then he found an abnormality in the lymph nodes in that area, so Gutiérrez had to take chemotherapy.
But what hurts Gutiérrez the most was the truth that Newcastle had let him go during the 2013-14 season. After his half-season-long treatment in his home country, he returned to England to see that he was loaned to Norwich City.
"I returned mid-November, and at the beginning, to mid-December, the manager said I should find another club. So it is clear that they look after the club's interests. Still, in a situation like that, you need to consider other things, even more, if you see that I had been playing for five years before having this problem, I was always playing," Gutiérrez explained Newcastle's treatment towards him during his illness.
Luckily, Gutiérrez's left calf was injured while playing with Norwich City, so he decided to spend his time recovering from his condition fully.
He kept his illness a secret for one year before announcing it to the public in September 2014 while he was getting ready for his last treatment before returning to the field again.
"This is the hardest part of my life. But like everything, someday, it must come to an end. I'm fortunate that this story has its end as well. So I decided to share this story with everyone. I think it would be a great help to people battling cancer," Gutierrez shared his inspiration with others as he always did.
Spider-Man Jonas' homecoming
After his long hiatus, Gutiérrez returned to the Premier League on 4 March 2015 for Newcastle's against Manchester United.
Although the match ended with the loss of Newcastle, having Gutiérrez back on the field with a captain armband is a picture that Toon Army could never forget.
This profound moment could only last for a short while, as the performance of Newcastle in the 2014-15 season was under par.
Since losing to United, they've been on a seven consecutive match losing streak. In that season, they lost nine games, and drew one but couldn't win a single time before match day 38. As a result, Newcastle United fell from 11 to 17 in the league.
That then fell to the final day, where if they failed to win their home match against Westham United, there was a high chance the team would be relegated from the Premier League since 2009.
In this match, Gutiérrez played on the left wing, a position he was best at, and he ensured the team's trust with his assist for Moussa Sissoko's goal at the 54 minutes mark.
Then in the 85th minute, Newcastle survived relegation by securing the win they needed against West Ham to assure safety at St James' Park.
Gutiérrez received the ball from the left and shot outside the penalty box, finishing the game 2-0 as a hero.
Although this time he celebrated without the Spidey mask, Gutiérrez showed its significance by taking off his shirt without caring if he would get a yellow card or not anymore.
"For the last game of the season, I really was thinking it could be my last game for Newcastle. I was ready for all possibilities, but I didn't want Newcastle to go down. The ovation I got was amazing."
It was as he suspected because after he saved the team from relegation, he was let go disrespectfully by a phone call.
Afterwards, he wandered around with many teams, but there was no place he loved like St. James' Park.
When he announced his retirement in 2021, he recalled his professional career, his relationship with Newcastle United, and his year-long battle with cancer.
But out of all these things, he can remember the most beautiful bond between him and Newcastle fans, who praised him as a cult hero who would forever be one of the fan favorites.
"I was sad when I left because it was hard to leave a club and a place I love," he said.
"But when I look at my past, I think about the good things, like the fans and their unbelievable messages of support.
"For that, I can only say thank you."
Gutiérrez's career might not be as successful as many superstars, and he probably even had to face more challenges than anyone, but the love and bond he got from the fans were more than anyone could receive.
Therefore, he will always be remembered as a Magpies’ hero.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/32770782
https://www.planetfootball.com/in-depth/jonas-gutierrez-joining-newcastle-was-the-best-decision-of-my-life/
https://www.goal.com/es-cl/news/4778/main/2014/09/16/5110011/jon%C3%A1s-guti%C3%A9rrez-y-su-lucha-contra-el-c%C3%A1ncer
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/nov/08/newcastleunited-premierleague
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/jul/10/newcastleunited.realmallorca
https://www.transfermarkt.com/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/2486847
