WHEN Kieron Dyer nonchalantly back-heeled the ball into the Olympiacos net on Wednesday, he was rightly applauded for a piece of impudent opportunism.

Yet, while the goal initially appeared to have come from nothing, it should have been no surprise to see the England international scoring from such a position.

After all, he has spent most of the season with his back to the wall.

Nobody involved with Newcastle can look back on the second half of last August with any pride but, for Dyer in particular, the opening weeks of the season represented a personal and professional nadir.

His refusal to play on the right of midfield against Middlesbrough saw him booed on to St James' Park during England's international friendly with Ukraine before a series of below-par displays saw him repeatedly booed off the ground as his confidence and form ebbed away.

A hamstring injury took him out of the firing line but, when he returned to action in mid-January, most Newcastle fans felt he was merely marking time before packing his bags in May.

Dyer was public enemy number one until, in the time it took to say 'Yes' to Sky TV, his role of 'Enfant Terrible' was taken by team-mate Craig Bellamy.

Suddenly, chairman Freddy Shepherd was citing Dyer as an example of a player who had made mistakes, but had both the courage and conviction to atone for his errors.

Boss Graeme Souness agreed, arguing that the previously wayward 26-year-old had turned himself into something of a model professional.

But the people who really mattered still had to be convinced. While Alan Shearer and Shay Given were cheered to the rafters, Dyer remained something of a reprobate among the rank and file.

Not any more. When Dyer was substituted in the second half of Wednesday's 4-0 win, Newcastle's supporters gave their response to his recent attempts at rehabilitation.

Cheers replaced jeers and, while the former Ipswich star's ability has never been called into question, his willingness to win over the fans has earned him something he has rarely enjoyed during his career - respect.

"When I win two pieces of silverware at the end of the season, hopefully that is when I will finally be fully forgiven," said Dyer, with the same honesty that got him into trouble with Sir Bobby Robson in the first place.

"The fans have been very good to me for a month now. If I keep showing that appetite and that hunger - which maybe has been lacking in the past - I think I will be all right with them.

"The team are doing well and, from a personal point of view, things are also going well. I am feeling very confident, very strong and fit.

"But we really need to make this count now. I want to win something so badly - nobody wants to go through their career without silverware.

"We have a great chance this season. We are blessed with so many good players, hopefully we can all stay fit and achieve our goals."

Newcastle's primary goal is to end a 36-year wait for a major trophy.

With an FA Cup semi-final already in the bag, the last four of the UEFA Cup could move significantly closer if the Magpies are handed a favourable quarter-final draw this afternoon.

By dumping Greek side Olympiacos out of the competition, United have already removed one of their most serious rivals to the crown.

And, while the likes of Villarreal and Sporting Lisbon could present significant hurdles to be overcome, the Newcastle squad are quietly confident of handling anything that is thrown at them later today.

"It would be a wasted opportunity if we don't do well," admitted Dyer. "To be perfectly honest, the UEFA Cup will be easier to win than the FA Cup.

"We have to beat Manchester United and probably Arsenal to win the FA Cup. I don't think there are any teams left in the UEFA Cup who are up to that standard. I do fancy our chances.

"The bookies very rarely get things wrong and they have said we are favourites. It is there for us to win and the gaffer has touched on that.

"We respect the other teams, but we don't fear anyone. We are full of confidence and we don't mind who we get in the draw."

That confidence was underlined by Dyer's opener on Wednesday. Few players would have dared attempt the finish but, as well as feeling as fit as he ever has, the attacker is finally finding the assurance to go with his undoubted ability.

"The adrenalin is flowing," he said. "That is one of the cheekiest goals I have ever scored and I probably wouldn't have tried that earlier in the season. But my confidence is now sky high and I just fancy my chances.

"I hated last season because it was so stop-start. I would play ten games and get injured. You can't find your form or fitness when it is like that.

"I have played 25 games now (this season) and, every time I go on to the pitch, it seems as if I'm stronger and performing to a better level. That comes with a run of games."

It also comes with the self-belief that is generated by being wanted. Dyer is the first to admit that he has made mistakes and, in his most intense periods of reflection, also accepts that he has had to earn his redemption.

By doing just that, he has turned his career around. Nowadays, even when facing backwards, he is heading in the right direction.

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