The Most Famous Newcastle United Players of All Time

by Andy The Magpie · 14 December 2020, 12:18

Newcastle has had some amazing players over the years. In fact, they’ve had some of the most talented players the world has ever seen. The team has 128 years behind them, which means that very few could rival them in every sense.

Despite the struggles they’ve been facing over the years, it goes without saying that this is England’s biggest club and its biggest pride, too. They’ve competed in Europe and won league titles, as well as trained some of the greatest players in the history of football.

Let’s have a look at who these players are.

Hughie Gallacher

Back in 1926 when Hughie Gallacher, an amazing goalkeeper was only 23 years old, he scored a total of 36 goals in 38 games. To this day, it remains the highest tally by Newcastle players in history. Hughie also took his team to the first league title since 1909, which makes him one of the greatest in the midst of the Magpies.

Jackie Milburn

Fans knew Jackie as a direct and quick runner who literally terrorized defences while playing. During his spell at this team, he won 3 FA Cups and scored around 200 goals for the club. This is when Jackie wrote himself in the football history.

John Rutherford

Also known as the ‘’Jock’’, John Rutherford played for Newcastle for a total of 12 years. He first joined them in 1902 and was named the ‘’Flyer’’ of Newcastle. Why? It was because of his right wing playing style. Soon after this, John becomes the youngest scorer of the club at only 17 years old. In his career, he won 3 league titles and 1 FA Cup.

Les Ferdinand

You’ll hardly find a football fan today that hasn’t heard of Ferdinand. Ferdinand has an amazing partnership up front with the brilliant Alan Shearer. This was the point of his life when Les Ferdinand was most successful. In only 84 appearances for Newcastle, he scored 50 goals, 29 of which were in his first season.

Many times, fans cannot anticipate what the most likely transfers to follow are. Les Ferdinand is a proof of it. In 2019, he left the club.

Alan Shearer

Alan Shearer is the most discussed, most beloved member of Newcastle in the history of this club. You could frequently find him on the TV, in the news, and even bet on his score at a no minimum deposit casino. This all-time top scorer in the history of the Premier League is Newcastle’s best scorer with a total of 206 goals. In 1997, he won the golden boot award in the Premier League.

Peter Beardsley

Out of two stints for Newcastle for Peter, the two were a huge success. Peter was a midfielder who scored 117 times in 321 games for this club. This is an impressive number considering his position. After 59 caps to his name, the 35 years old Beardsley decided that his career has come to an end. Still, it goes without saying that this amazing player will always be in the top lists.

Shay Given

Between 1997 and 2009, Newcastle had a magnificent player called Shay Given. He played for 13 years and constantly proved himself as a top-class goalkeeper. People did not expect a lot of him at the beginning because Shay is short in stature. But, this player showed an immense capability and made some unforgettable saves. He was also included in the PFA Team of the Year in 2002 and 2006.

In his 12 years at Newcastle, Shay made a total of 463 appearances. In 2012, fans voted him as the best ever goalkeeper for the Magpies.

Bill McCracken

McCracken had a lengthy, very successful career in Newcastle. He was there for 19 years in which he made 432 appearances. In his time, McCracken helped the club win 3 First Division titles and 1 FA Cup. Because of his capability to exploit the offside trap, the FA literally changed the ruling back in 1925. They reduced the three defending players requirements ahead of an attacker to only two.

Bobby Moncur

Bobby Moncur played in the 60s and 70s and is still known as Newcastle’s best centre-back in history. He had 361 appearances and was a true leader in the club. Bobby scored 3 of 10 goals in the two legs of the precursor to the UEFA Cup in 1969, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final.

Kevin Keegan

Fans instantly knew that they could expect great things as soon as Kevin joined Newcastle. He played for the team for only two seasons, in which he scored 48 goals in a total of 78 appearances. In the 90s, he came back as manager in two separate occasions.

Newcastle has had amazing people and players at its arsenal. The list does not end here. These are only 10 of the most memorable names in this club’s history.

Author’s Bio:

Jeremy Raynolds is a sports journalist and critic. He writes for sports journals and websites online. According to Jeremy, football is the force that moves the world.