10 Best Free Signings Ever Made By Newcastle United

Shopping in the bargain basement is a cross Newcastle fan must continue to bear so long as Mike Ashley remains in power at St James' Park and persists with his quest to construct a team on the principals of financial frugality.

But in the age of inflated transfer fees and ludicrous salary demands there can surely be no greater triumph to a chairman or manager than plucking a supreme quality freebie from the unattached shelf without having to relinquish a single penny from the club coffers. It's the equivalent of finding a pristine pair of Gucci brogues in the knock-off bin at Aldi.

They say the best things in life are free and Newcastle have shopped exceptionally well in Bosman aisle. The signing of Jack Colback from Sunderland is testament to that with the Geordie midfielder running down his contract at the Stadium of Light before swapping Wear for Tyne without incurring a charge.

Cult heroes have been made out of some less-than desirable players in recent years while some hidden gems have sprung from the doldrums of unemployment to flourish in Black and White.

And here we give to you the 10 Best Free Signings that Newcastle have ever made...