A dubious one to kick off, particularly given that, as the famous chant goes, Pavel is a Geordie, and so technically he doesnt count as foreign, but still, he was very much one of the first breed of adopted Geordies. Strangely, the Toon are spoilt for choice in this department: Shay Given (really, the obvious choice), Shaka Hislop, Tim Krul - all of whom would probably beat Pav to the number one jersey in real life and in terms of real talent. But this isnt real life, and no self-respecting Toon fan could compile any greatest ever list without making personal experience the central concern. And with in mind, theres just something about Pav. All accounts from his time at the club point to him being a genuinely nice guy, and for that alone, hes in nets. That and his superlative Asics keeper tops. So he couldnt catch a cross to save his life? In the modern game, thats not too much of a setback.
