Top 10 Newcastle United Local Heroes

3. Sir Bobby Robson

To many, Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima is the greatest striker that ever lived, and that is the greatest compliment that can be paid to Sir Bobby Robson's managerial abilities. The man born and raised in Stanley Park managed the Brazilian at both PSV Eindhoven and FC Barcelona, nurturing him into a world superstar. Jose Mourinho is currently plying his trade as one of the best managers in the game, only to have learnt that trade under the former England and Ipswich Town manager at FC Porto and Barcelona as assistant and translator to him. In short, Sir Bobby was a world class man and manager responsible for some of football's greats making it the way they did. As a player, Robson never played for Newcastle United, despite being offered the chance as a schoolboy, instead representing Fulham and West Brom, while also winning 20 caps for England as a striker. He did however return to the area and the club he loved almost 50 years after leaving, in 1999, to end his career in football with 5 years as the club's manager. When he arrived in September of that year, football in the city was on its knees. Ruud Guillit had just resigned, leaving the club 19th in the Premier League after a 2-1 home defeat to Sunderland in which he had left out Alan Shearer, who was completely void of confidence. Sir Bobby was needed, he got to work. His first home game showed his impact, sending shock waves through the league. Newcastle beat Sheffield Wednesday 8-0, Shearer scored five. That was just the start, just three years later, Newcastle were back among Europe's elite, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Internazionale, Juventus and Bobby's former club Barcelona. His young side took the league by storm and although even Sir Bobby couldn't break the long standing trophy duck, The Entertainers had returned. Sir Bobby left the club in 2004 and sadly five years later, after battling cancer for the fifth time, he died at the age of 76. A godfather of Newcastle United, a godfather of football, The way Sir Bobby Robson had mended the club, all in the calm, collected way of the gentleman he was, has ensured that he will forever go down as one of Newcastle's favourite sons.