The average of these famous former Newcastle footballers is almost 40. But if you think they play only azerbaycan aviator now, you’re wrong. The players are still in business.
Papiss Cisse
Cisse’s impact at Newcastle United transcends mere statistics. The Senegalese striker embodied the spirit of a city and its football club during a pivotal era. His arrival in January 2012 coincided with the Magpies’ unexpected challenge for a Champions League spot. Cisse dazzled with 13 goals in 14 matches, including a physics-defying volley against Chelsea that will forever live in Geordie folklore.
Though Cisse never consistently replicated that prolific form, he remained beloved on Tyneside. Even during Newcastle’s relegation in 2016, the striker’s endeavors were unquestioned. After stints in China and Turkey, Cisse returned to France with Amiens at age 38. Despite departing this past summer, 10 goals in 23 games proved he still had magic left in his boots. Now a free agent, Cisse isn’t quite ready to hang them up. His Newcastle legacy is secure, but more memorable moments may yet await.
Xisco
When Newcastle United splashed £6 million on Spanish striker Xisco in 2008, it was one of the signings that prompted manager Kevin Keegan’s infamous resignation. In hindsight, the transfer fee was grossly excessive for the Deportivo La Coruna benchwarmer.
Xisco quickly found himself marginalized at the seventh-choice striker for the relegation-threatened Magpies. Attempts to offload him just months after arriving were blocked by FIFA regulations. Newcastle remained shackled to Xisco until 2013, farming him out on a litany of fruitless loans.
Though he helped Cordoba return to La Liga during a brief revival, Xisco’s career drifted into obscurity. Now in his mid-30s, he plies his trade for Atlético Baleares in the Spanish regional leagues, a shadow of the striker Newcastle once deemed worthy of a multi-million-pound investment. For player and club alike, the transfer proved an expensive misstep.
Nacho Gonzales
The 2008 loan signing of Nacho Gonzalez was another transfer fiasco that catalyzed Kevin Keegan’s acrimonious split from Newcastle United. Against Keegan’s wishes, Dennis Wise and Mike Ashley secured Gonzalez from Maritimo as a dubious favor to South American agents.
A Premier League tribunal later ruled the deal had breached Keegan’s contract, resulting in compensation. The shady circumstances surrounding an ineffective player epitomized the growing discord between manager and ownership.
After just two appearances for the Magpies, Gonzalez embarked on a journeyman career spanning Greece, Belgium, Spain and his native Uruguay. Now 41, he incredibly still plays for Montevideo Wanderers in Uruguay’s top division.
While Gonzalez’s longevity merits respect, his forgettable Newcastle spell remains a symbol of the dysfunction and poor recruitment that plagued the club during that era. For both player and club, the deal is best forgotten.
Rob Elliot
At only 37 years old the former Republic of Ireland international Rob Elliot now pulls double duty as both player and technical director for Gateshead FC.
Appointed in summer 2022, Elliot aims to leverage his experience to build infrastructure and engage supporters. As he stated, “I want to put a structure in place, generate the fanbase, and make the club as sustainable as possible.”
Noble aspirations indeed for the veteran shot-stopper. Though Elliot’s playing days inevitably draw to a close, his stewardship could help shepherd Gateshead toward a brighter future. Goalkeepers may go on forever, but Elliot now transitions to a higher calling off the pitch. His next chapter could prove even more meaningful than the last.
