After being part of a France squad that won the World Cup on home territory in 1998, striker Stephane Guivarc'h would have had his pick of clubs during that summer and there was delight on Tyneside when it was revealed he would be plying his trade in the black and white stripes of Newcastle United. Being able to say you had signed a World Cup-winning number nine soon created excitement on the city's streets and there was a real buzz among the Toon Army when thinking about his possible partnership with Alan Shearer. However, the hope of sucess never really got a chance to build into a reality and the man who had brought the striker to the club was given his marching orders. Out went Kenny Dalglish and in came Ruud Gullit with the promise of sexy football. From day one it was clear that Guivarc'h wasn't part of the Dutchman's plans and the talented forward was left to twiddle his thumbs on the sidelines. Expecting to be an integral cog in the Newcastle United machine, Guivarc'h was notably unhappy with the amount of playing time he was offered on Tyneside - a meagre four games - and soon jumped ship and headed north of the border in a £3.5 million deal with Rangers. Although he only made a handful of appearances for the Scottish giants before heading back to his homeland, the forward won the treble under Dick Advocaat, scoring the first goal in the League Cup final. Whether the Frenchman would have had a fairer crack of the whip if Kenny Dalglish had remained in charge at Newcastle we will never know, but his short stint in the North East is bound to have left a bitter taste in his mouth.
