Newcastle Transfers: 10 More French Players Who Played For The Toon

7. Antoine Sibierski

Born: August 5th, 1974 in Lille Signed By: Glenn Roeder in 2006 on a free transfer Signed From: Manchester City Left Newcastle: 2007 on a free transfer League Appearances: 26 League Goals: 3 Antoine Sibierski's single season at Newcastle United proved to be a valuable lesson in not judging a player until they have played for a club. Signed from a then-average Manchester City for free after his contract was not renewed, his signing was lampooned by rival fans and questioned by Magpies supporters, but by the end of his time at the club many were sorry to see him go. Sibierski had spent three seasons at Manchester City as a regular first team player, appearing in 92 league games and scoring 11 goals without ever setting the league alight. Newcastle had spent big money on Albert Luque, Scott Parker and Michael Owen the Summer before, and had just signed Obafemi Martins for over 10 million pounds, and so Sibierski's signing at the end of the transfer window seemed like a major dip in ambition for the club. Debuting against Estonian side Levadia Tallinn in the UEFA Cup, few Newcastle fans assumed Sibierski could add much to the team, but a debut goal and subsequent respectable performances in both domestic and European competition began to prove many of the doubters wrong. Over the course of the season, Sibierski formed a formidable partnership with Obafemi Martins, playing in both an advanced attacking midfield role and as a forward depending on the task at hand. Although his goalscoring was not prolific domestically, he scored regularly in Europe, and this along with his strong supporting role was enough to by the end of the season have won over most Newcastle fans. At the end of the campaign, new manager Sam Allardyce refused to offer the 32-year-old Sibierski a two-year contract, and as a result he chose to leave the club, joining Wigan Athletic. Although he appeared regularly there and in a loan spell at Norwich City, Sibierski was nearing the end of his career, and he retired in 2009. Would he make the cut today? Maybe. The Sibierski that spent a season on Tyneside from 2006 until 2007 would never be a first choice player for Newcastle today, but he could potentially be a useful squad option, especially given his strong showings in European competition.