V Manchester United (17th August 2008) Another player who laughed in the face of Newcastle fans' odd fetish for "proven Premier League experience", Jonas was signed from Mallorca and faced the admirable task of facing Manchester United on his debut. Brilliantly, he flourished. He famously impressed the fans as his side earned a point against the Champions with a 1-1 draw, and earned himself the tag of Alan Hansen's most impressive debutant of that opening day of the season. That's no small feat. Did It Last? In that first season Gutierrez was a solid enough player, but his assist rate in Spain was noticeably absent, and fans didn't get to see the famous Spider-Man mask celebration nearly enough times. None of that was his fault, as he played with a group of disaffected, badly managed players who looked like they'd accepted relegation long before it was ever a certainty. Since then he's grown to cult status, scoring some key goals and earning himself a reputation as a grafter. Whether you loved him as a player or not, his personal triumph over cancer - and poisonous club politics - and his relegation-battling goal against West Ham in 2015 have cemented him as a Magpies hero.
