Newcastle: 10 Best Foreign Signings In The Premier League Era

8. Fabricio Coloccini

Widely marked down as a flop after struggling to adapt to the rigours of the English game in a debut season that coincided with Newcastle's relegation to the Championship in 2009, Coloccini repaired his reputation in England's second tier and is now acknowledged as one the best defenders in the top-flight. Coming to the end of his fifth season on Tyneside the curly-haired Argentine has been a mainstay in the side for the last four seasons. Earmarked as the natural successor to the captains armband vacated by Kevin Nolan, Coloccini is the lynchpin of the Magpies rearguard, exuding a calmness that resonates (sometimes, depends who's alongside him) across the back-four and throughout the entire team. The 32-year-old is anything but a reliable presence both on and off the pitch and has grown into his role as a leader at St James'. It says everything that when he's missing or playing poorly Newcastle tend to suffer as a result.