12 Newcastle Successes (And 12 Failures) Scouted By Graham Carr

9. Gael Bigirimana

Signed: 2012 (from Coventry City) Transfer Fee: £750,000 Position: Defensive-Midfielder Newcastle United Appearances: 26 (2012-) Newcastle United Goals: 1 Current Club: Newcastle United (but he spent four months on loan at Rangers in 2015)

Newcastle's £750,000 acquisition of Gael Bigirimana from Coventry City in 2012 looked like an inspired move - yet three years on and the defensive-midfielder looks to have disappeared off the face of the Earth. The 2012-13 season brought 25 appearances for the Burundi-born midfielder - including a match in which he scored a brilliant goal against Wigan Athletic, his only for the club to date - and he originally looked like an ideal long-term successor to Cheick Tiote. However, injury and a mystery "illness" have seen Bigirimana disappear from the Newcastle first-team squad, with the midfielder having failed to make a Premier League appearance during the last two campaigns. Even a loan to Rangers in February did not bring a single appearance for Bigi as he continues to struggle with his illness. The blame for Bigi's failure to develop must be partially laid at his own door but also at the man who scouted him, Carr. Signing Rating: 4