Newcastle United: 1998-2004 League Appearances: 130 League Goals: 11 A cult hero - and someone who will always be loved on Tyneside for his Tyne-Wear derby winner at the Stadium of Light in February 2002 - but it is often forgotten that Nikos Dabizas was also an astute and experienced centre-back. Capped 70 times by Greece - with who he won the European Championship in 2004, incidentally - Dabizas had already lifted the Greek league title twice with Olympiacos before Newcastle paid £2 million for his services in 1998. During six years on Tyneside, he scored 11 league goals in 130 appearances - a more-than-decent return for a centre-back - and he helped Newcastle qualify for the Champions League twice. It is the derby goal against Sunderland for which Dabizas is remembered, but it should also be for the fact he helped Newcastle to remain in the Premier League while playing alongside the likes of Alain Goma and Marcelino...
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
