10 Greatest Newcastle United Players In The Premier League Era
5. Rob Lee
Rob Lee can be considered among the best all-around midfielders to play for Newcastle, especially in the Premier League era. Robert Lee was a centrepiece of Newcastle’s midfield for around 10 years. The Englishman started his career at Charlton Athletic from where he joined Newcastle in 1992 for a fee of £700,000.
He was a goal-scoring midfielder and he was the first Newcastle player to score a European hat-trick. The first goal of that hat trick was also the fastest goal in United’s European football history, scored in just 50 seconds into the game against Antwerp. He was an important part of Kevin Keegan’s regime. He was a great playmaker and will forever be loved in Tyneside. In 381 games for the Magpies, he scored a total of 56 goals and then left for Derby County in 2002 for a transfer fee of £250,000.
4. Les Ferdinand
Ferdinand was at St. James’ Park for not more than 2 years but he established himself as a brilliant forward during that time, building an excellent partnership with Alan Shearer. He spent one of the best and most fruitful times of his career at Newcastle. After his retirement, he himself acknowledged that he regretted leaving Newcastle so soon.
He was a strong and powerful player, scored 29 goals for the club in his first season, and brought the team close to winning the Premier League but lost the title to Man United by a difference of just 4 points. Les scored a total of an inspiring 50 goals in 84 games, helping the team finish to 2nd place two seasons in a row. He was then signed up by his boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur in 1997. He was included in the Newcastle Hall of Fame in 2017 and is affectionately known amongst the fan as ‘Sir Les’.
3. David Ginola
Ginola was an exceptional talent. The French midfielder joined Newcastle United from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of £2.5 million in 1995. He joined Newcastle at the same time as Les Ferdinand and both of them were a pleasure to watch and did wonders for the club and left at the same time after having helped the club finish as runner ups in both of the seasons they were there.
He was an excellent dribbler with either of his foot as strong as the other. Ginola was loved by the fans at St. James’ Park and should have stayed much longer, providing precise crosses to the likes of Alan Shearer or Les Ferdinand. It is harmless to say that his time with the Toons is the most successful part of his career. After Kevin Keegan resigned, the French maestro decided to leave for Spurs in 1977, where he enjoyed more or less the same kind of success.