1. David Ginola
Born: January 25th, 1967 in Gassin Signed By: Kevin Keegan in 1995 for £2,500,000 Signed From: Paris Saint-Germain Left Newcastle: 1997 for £2,500,000 League Appearances: 58 League Goals: 6 One of the most important members of of Kevin Keegan's 'Entertainers' side of the 1990s, David Ginola spent two eventful seasons on Tyneside, contributing heavily to two second-placed finishes in the Premier League, and undoubtedly being Newcastle United's stand-out French player before the French Connection of today. As with many former French stars at Newcastle, Ginola signed for the Toon from Paris Saint-Germain, despite rumoured interest in his signature from Barcelona. His acquisition by Keegan was a statement of intent that Newcastle were looking to challenge for honours over the coming years, with Les Ferdinand, Shaka Hislop and Warren Barton joining the same Summer. Ginola quickly fit into Keegan's plans and became an integral part of the team, playing in midfield alongside Rob Lee, Keith Gillespie and Lee Clark as Newcastle finished just four points behind Manchester United in the 1995-96 title race. Alan Shearer joined Newcastle prior to the 1996-97 season, and while Newcastle finished second again, Keegan resigned in January and was replaced by Kenny Dalglish. Dalglish took a more defensive approach to play than Keegan, and Ginola's key role was reduced as part of the plans. Despite Ginola's immense popularity on Tyneside, he departed for Tottenham Hotspur in the Summer of 1997. This was perhaps an unlikely transfer, as Spurs had just finished 10th in the league and Barcelona had approached Newcastle about the possibility of purchasing Ginola the year before. By 1997, however, Ginola was 30, and while he had great success as Tottenham and became a club legend there, his career rapidly wound down in the early 21st Century, and Ginola finished his career with a short stint at Everton in 2002. Despite only spending two seasons at Newcastle, Ginola remains a fondly remembered figure on Tyneside, as part of one of the strongest Newcastle sides ever assembled, and as part of iconic moments in the Magpies' history, such as the 5-0 win over Manchester United in 1996, a game in which he scored.
Would he make the cut today? The Ginola of the 'Entertainers' days would undoubtedly make the Newcastle side of today, and as one of the first names on the team sheet at that.
So, is David Ginola the stand-out Frenchman of the Premier League era for Newcastle United? How do players like Laurent Robert, Olivier Bernard and Sylvain Distin stack up against the French Connection of today? And should players such as Didier Domi and Laurent Charvet have made this list? Leave a comment with your views.