2. Laurent Robert
Born: May 21st, 1975 in Saint-Benoît Signed By: Sir Bobby Robson in 2001 for £9,500,000 (Source: BBC Sport) Signed From: Paris Saint-Germain Left Newcastle: 2006 on a free transfer League Appearances: 129 League Goals: 30 One of the key players of the Sir Bobby Robson era at Newcastle United, Laurent Robert joined Newcastle in a big money move in 2001 and, while he left on sour terms in 2006 on a free transfer, proved to be one of the best players to wear black and white over the course of the past decade. Known as a prolific goalscoring midfielder and dead ball specialist in the French league, and an international for the reigning world champions, Robert cost Newcastle United some £9.5 million, but during a very successful period under Sir Bobby proved to not be an excessive expense. Robert's link-up play with Olivier Bernard on the left wing and knack for scoring spectacular goals, often from long distance and with immense power, cemented him as a fan favourite early in his Newcastle career, as the team qualified for the Champions League and finished as high as 3rd, often being deemed outsiders for the Premier League title. As his time at Newcastle wore on, however, Robert began to show a petulant side to his personality, with a high-profile fall out with Graeme Souness - who chose to drop Robert and clearly did not favour him after taking over from Robson in 2004 - among the initial incidents. Robert then criticised the Newcastle squad, and found his popularity with supporters dwindling. After 17 league appearances on loan at Pompey, Robert left the British Isles for Benfica in 2006. He also featured for Levante in Spain before returning to appear for the hapless Derby County side of 2007-08, as a shell of the player that he once was for the Magpies. Despite his misdemeanours, Robert was one of the finest attacking talents St. James' Park has seen in recent memory.
Would he make the cut today? At his best and in the prime of his Newcastle United career, yes. He would certainly make the current squad and would be a strong candidate to feature in the first eleven on a regular basis.
(Note: Laurent Robert was born on Réunion, which is an overseas department of France in Africa, giving him French nationality.)