When I arrived at Newcastle and saw the training ground, it was like standing in an amateur club - the first thing I thought was, 'Am I in England?': Newcastle legend opens up on 'amateur' welcome to the Toon in 1995

David Ginola says he was surprised with the amateur feel to Newcastle United upon his arrival back in 1995.

The dazzling Frenchman arrived in the north of England for a spell that would last just three years before he moved to Aston Villa. Making 76 appearances in all competitions, he scored just seven goals in a move that initially promised so much.

Ginola has since opened up on his arrival from PSG back in the mid-1990s, expressing his concerns over what he thought would be a club ready to take a step to the next level.

'Newcastle United was very low profile'

“When I arrived at Newcastle and saw the training ground, it was like standing in an amateur club," began the now 57-year-old speaking to Not Just Football, brought to you by Sky Bet. "It was a very low profile, having breakfast in the morning and sharing a dressing room with students from the local university because the training ground was in Durham. 

"So, you jump into a world today where when you look at the facilities, training grounds, and stadiums, everything is top.

“You need to adapt yourself to this new chapter of football, but the thing for me is the mentality, the mentality has changed so much all through those years – the passion and the love of the shirt and the meaning of it."

It is safe to say the cultured Frenchman was in for a ride he didn't expect, especially given the Brit's fine dining compared to that of his previous exploits in Paris.

“When I arrived at Newcastle, the first thing I thought was, ‘Am I in England?’ The way that they were talking and all these things, for me it was like a discovery. 

"When I signed from PSG to Newcastle I thought about the Premier League and England and thought it would be like this and that, but I discovered things like Baked Beans and Toast – things I’d never think about in Paris. 

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"I was used to eating croissants and pain au chocolates and a nice glass of wine. Talking about football these days, I don’t think we realise how good it was at that time. Less money but more passion and appreciation to play for someone who really wants you, like Sir John Hall – what a man. 

"He was a Geordie, very successful businessman who bought the club because it was his passion. Nowadays, people buy clubs because they just want to be in football, I don’t know if they are enjoying themselves.”