Newcastle United were emerging in 1995 and Kevin Keegan managed to get the Magpies to play an attacking brand of football, earning his team the nickname “The Entertainers”.
David Ginola joined Keegan’s team in the summer of 1995 to increase the attacking threat for Keegan’s team, distinguishing himself with his tricks and cunning Newcastle supporters.
However, defender Steve Howey, who spent 11 years at Newcastle between 1989 and 2000, first noticed Ginola’s aesthetics and later his footballing skills attracted even more attention.
The former Newcastle United defender couldn’t take his eyes off David Ginola
When David arrived, I definitely questioned my sexuality,” Howey says FourFourTwo. “He was wonderful. He could wear a black garbage bag and look stunning. Not only that, he was also a brilliant football player and a great guy.
“He immediately believed in the team’s ethos. Lee Clark used to call him “Dave,” which he didn’t like – it must have been “Dav-eed” with the French pronunciation – but he was such a good athlete. Our training sessions were intense and the new players found their feet quickly – we tested them by hitting them with difficult balls.
“David just made fun of it. His touch was so impeccable that he not only controlled it, but also beat a man and then wrapped him in the post. I remember Scott Sellars, who was playing in David’s position, watching that first session and saying, “God damn it, guys, I’m out of the team.”
Indeed, Sellars is gone Bolton six months after Ginola joined, and his playing time was limited to just six First league performances.
Meanwhile, Ginola flourished in attack and became an integral member of the first team, helping Newcastle dominate in the top flight.
However, despite being 12 points ahead at the end of January, Manchester United managed to topple the Magpies to win the title, while Newcastle had to settle for second place.
