10 Strangest Ever Newcastle United Signings

A veteran Rush was the final piece of the jigsaw for in Kenny Dalglish now infamous "Dad's Army" as he dismantled Kevin Keegan's "Entertainers" side and replaced them with ageing relics. Rush, 36 and a free agent at the time, was the oldest of the lot when he joined former Liverpool team-mate John Barnes and Stuart Pearce at St James' Park after leaving Leeds.

From the outset this stunk of a panic signing from Dalglish in the aftermath of losing Alan Shearer for a large chunk of the season and Les Ferdinand's sale to Tottenham. It left the Scot with just Faustino Asprilla and a young John Dahl Tomasson to shoulder the striking burden. There is no doubting the Welshman was a prolific predator in the 1980's but this was the nineties and he was a spent force by the time he rocked up for final big payday on Tyneside.

Dalglish's attempt to justify signing his old Anfield pal was golden: "What is the difference between having a kid of 17 playing for us pre-season and these two lads who have still got it joining us?"