10 Best Free Signings Ever Made By Newcastle United

3. Peter Lovenkrands

"Signed on a free from Germany, Peter Lovenkrandsssssss..." was the rhythmic chant often belted out by Newcastle fans in homage to Lovenkrands. The popular Danish attacker finally became a Magpies in January 2009 over nine years after he originally spurned our advances to join Rangers.

Three goals in 12 starts followed with his first at St James' Park ending Edwin Van der Saar's 1,311 minute streak without conceding when he pounced to put us ahead against Manchester United in a game we would go on to lose. His efforts were ultimately in vain as we nosedived into the Championship and he was released from his short-term deal in July only to pop up again three months later for a second crack of the whip on Tyneside.

And after a slow start to life in the second tier Lovenkrands began to regularly find the net when paired in tandem with Geordie striker Andy Carroll and he finished the campaign with 16 goals in 32 games. It would be remiss to overlook his input into our immediate return to the Premier League and one moment, in particular. sticks out amongst the rest.

Just hours after returning to England following the death of his father in January 2010, a grief-stricken Lovenkrands requested then-manager Chris Hughton to name him in the team. He duly came to our rescue that night with the second equaliser in a 2-2 draw with West Brom and celebrated by poignantly pointing to the sky as a mark of respect to the man that raised him.