10 Former Toon Players Who Returned To Haunt Newcastle

1. Andy Cole

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoYfeSm4MQU It remains one of the most surprising transfers in British football, when Andy Cole left Newcastle United for Manchester United in 1995. With the Tyneside club looking to challenge the Mancunians for the title, selling their prized asset to them didn't look like such a smart move, such was the regularity of his goal-scoring. However, one could argue that it worked out for the best, when you look at who the Tyneside outfit signed as his replacement a year later. Taking off where he let off at St. James' Park, Cole terrorized Premiership defenders with his deadly eye for goal, so it's no surprise that Newcastle found themselves on the end of a few bites from their former employee. A notable intervention included the opening goal in a 2-0 victory over the Geordies during a crunch match in December 2005, but one afternoon that will live long in the memory for Geordie supporters for all the wrong reasons was when their former hero smashed four goals past the Magpies in August 1999. While most players show some respect for their former employers when bagging a goal against them with a muted celebration, Cole made no mistake in showing where his allegiances lay, wheeling away with utmost glee as he plundered goal after goal past a despairing Tommy Wright. Swapping passes with Paul Scholes, he cheerfully dinked the ball over the oncoming goalkeeper for the opening goal, before the Magpies equalised courtesy of a Henning Berg own goal. Cole would sweep the Mancunians back in front as he latched on to a through ball to stab past Wright, and after Nikos Dabizas' red card, he coolly blasted past the keeper for the hat-trick. A fourth was added soon after as he collected Gary Neville's pass, turned and fired low into the bottom corner from just inside the area. There was even time for a fifth from Ryan Giggs to compound the misery for the Magpies. It was a perfect riposte from Cole having been omitted from the most recent England squad for the Euro 2000 qualifiers. For Toon supporters, it was quite simply the worst case of when an old boy returns to haunt. With a player as deadly as Cole and a defence as traditionally porous as the Magpies', it was inevitable though, wasn't it? So, there's the top ten. Have there been any omissions? As always, feel free to leave your opinions and thoughts in the comment section below.