Newcastle United were an emerging force in 1995, with Kevin Keegan having managed to get the Magpies playing an attacking brand of football that saw his side dubbed 'The Entertainers'.
David Ginola joined in the summer of 1995 to add more attacking threat to Keegan's side, with his trickery and guille both standing out for Newcastle supporters.
For defender Steve Howey, who spent 11 years at Newcastle between 1989 and 2000, Ginola's aesthetics caught the eye first, however, with his footballing ability capturing the attention even more thereafter.
Ex-Newcastle United defender couldn't take his eyes off of David Ginola
I definitely questioned my sexuality when David arrived," Howey tells FourFourTwo. "He was gorgeous. He could have worn a black bin liner and looked stunning. Not only that, but he was a brilliant footballer and a great lad.
"He bought into the team ethos straight away. Lee Clark used to call him ‘Dave’, which he didn’t like – it had to be ‘Dav-eed’ with that French pronunciation – but he was such a good sport. Our training sessions had an intense tempo and new players would get found out quickly – we’d test them by pinging difficult balls into them.
"David just made a mockery of it. His touch was so immaculate, he’d not only control it but he’d beat a man and then wrap one into the stanchion. I remember Scott Sellars, who played in David’s position, watching that first session and saying, 'F**king hell, lads, that’s me out of the team'."
Sure enough, Sellars departed for Bolton six months after Ginola had joined, with his game time limited to just six Premier League appearances.
Ginola, meanwhile, flourished in the attacking side and became an integral member of the first team, helping Newcastle dominate in the top flight.
But, despite being 12 points clear at the end of January, Manchester United managed to overthrow the Magpies, taking the title as Newcastle had to settle for second place.
