Nottingham Forest Greatest All-Time Team

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

European Cup Winner

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal,
Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, Everton, Ipswich
Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, 
Leeds United, Leicester City, West Ham, Blackburn Rovers
Southampton, Wolverhampton Wanderers
East Midlands

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the club.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Founded in 1865, Forest were founder members of the Football Alliance in 1889 and joined the Football League in 1892. Since then they mostly competed in the top two League tiers, excepting five seasons in the third tier. Forest won the FA Cup in 1898 and 1959. Their most successful period was under the management of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor between 1975 and 1993, winning the League in 1978, back to back European Cups in the two years thereafter, four League Cups and two Full Members Cups.

1959 FA Cup winner

Team  
GK: Peter Shilton (England)
Peter Shilton is considered one of the greatest keepers ever.  He is England's all-time cap record-holder with 125.  He earned his first cap in 1970 and his last 20 years later in 1990.  He took England to 4th place in the 1990 World Cup.  He played for 11 different clubs in his career, all in England.  He won two straight European Cups in 1979 and 1980 with Nottingham Forrest. He was PFA Players' Player of the Year: 1977–78, an award rarely won by a goalkeeper.

Peter Shilton

GK: Harry Linacre (England)
Linacre started his career with Derby, where he ony played two games in 1899.  He joined Nottingham Forest in 1899. He was chosen to go on the first foreign tour to South America with his Nottingham club in 1905. In the same year as he appeared for England, he toured Uruguay and Argentina. He appeared twice for England that year, first against Scotland and Wales.

GK: Mark Crossley (Wales)
From 1988 until 2011,  he has previously played for numerous clubs in England's top flight, notably for Nottingham Forest, where he became the only goalkeeper to stop a Matthew Le Tissier penalty kick. He has also played for Manchester United, Milwall, Middlesbrough, Stoke City, Fulham, Sheffield Wednesday, Oldham Athletic and Chesterfield. He earned 8 caps playing for Wales between 1997 and 2004.

RB: Viv Anderson (England)
In 1978, Viv Anderson became the first Black player to play for the English senior national team. He would earn 30 caps between 1978 and 1988.  He was on two World Cup team: 1982 and 1986, and two European Championshiop team: 1980 and 1988. He was a part of Brian Clough's Nottingham Forrest team that won back-to-back European Cup in 1979 and 1980.  He also played for Arsenal, Manchester United and and Sheffield Wednesday. 

Viv Anderson

RB: Brian Laws (England)
Aged 17 Laws signed his first professional contract with Burnley. he played for Huddersfield Town in 1983 before joining Middlesbrough. In his three seasons at the club he twice helped the team to promotion, firstly to the 2nd Division and then, just a year later, up to the old First Division.In 1988, he joined Nottingham Forest. He was with Nottingham Forest team for six seasons, playing mainly as right full-back. During this time he won the League Cup twice and was runner up in the League Cup and FA Cup. 

CB/ST: Kenny Burns (Scotland)
Kenny Burns arrived at the Birmingham as a defender in 1971, but was converted to striker and earned the first of his 20 international caps in that role soon afterwards. However, after joining Nottingham in 1977, he was converted back into a central defender. Burns was voted FWA Footballer of the Year in 1977–78, as Forest won the First Division title. He was an influential figure to Forest's victory in the 1979 and 1980 European Cup tournaments.

CB: Des Walker (England)
Walker played 59 times for England.  He started in all of England;'s games at the World Cup Finals in 1990. He was rated as one of the best defender at that Finals.  For club football, he mainly played for Nottingham Forrest and Sheffield Wednesday.  He played one season at Sampdoria in then 1992-1993 season.   He was Forest's player of the year three times. On four straight occasions at Forest he was selected for the PFA Team of the Year.

Des Walker

CB: Bob McKinlay (Scotland)
Born in Scotland, Bob McKinlay was an one club player for Nottingham Forest.  He played for them between 1951 and 1969. He began in the 2nd divsion with the club, but most of his career was spent in the top flight. He is the club's record appearance holder and won the 1959 FA Cup Final with the club against Luton Town.  His uncle Billy McKinlay also played for the same club.

CB: Larry Lloyd  (England)
Larry Lloyd was remembered for his stints with Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. He was a part of Bill Shankly's great side from 1969 to 1974.  He helped Liverpool winning the First Division in 1972-1973, the FA Cup 1973-1974 and the UEFA Cup 1972-1973. He was also a part of Brian Clough's team that won back-to-back European Cup. For England, he played 4 times between 1971 and 1980.

LB: Stuart Pearce (England)
Stuart Pearce was a club legend with Nottingham Forrest.  He was the club's most capped international player with 78 caps between 1987 and 1999.  He played at the World Cup Finals in 1990 and the European championship in 1996 at home, where England had the best two results since the World Cup win in 1966. He also played for Wealdstone, Coventry City, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Manchester City.

Stuart Pearce

LB: Frank Clark (England)
Frank Clark started his career at Crook Town in 1961.  He started his professional career at Newcastle United a year later, and played a total of 464 games for them between 1962 and 1975.  He then joined Nottingham Forest, and helped them win promotion in 1977, and he played for them in the 1979 European Cup Final, where they beat Malmö FF.  He also won the league title and the league cup while playing for them.

CM/DM: Roy Keane (Ireland)
Keane was the captain of Manchester United from 1997 to 2005, where he won one Champions' League, 7 Preimer League titles and 4 FA Cups.  He was the PWA Player of the Year in 2000.  He had 67 caps.  He played for Ireland at the 1994 World Cup Finals in the USA, but was sent home 4 years later before the start of the World Cup Finals in 2002. He later played for Celtic in Scotland after leaving Manchester United.

CM: John McGovern (Scotland)
John McGovern played under manager Brian Clough for Derby, Leeds United and finally, Nottingham Forrest. He is most famous for captaining the Nottingham Forest side that won the European Cup twice.  At the age of 19 he became the youngest player to play in all four divisions of the Football League. During his playing career he won promotion with Hartlepools United, Derby County and Nottingham Forest.  At the end of his career, he also played for Bolton Wanderers F.C.

John McGovern

CM: Archie Gemmill (Scotland)
Gems played for a few clubs before Peter Taylor took him to Derby in 1970.  He won two league titles before he followed Brian Clough and Peter Taylor to Nottingham Forest.  He later played for r Birmingham City and Jacksonville Teamen.  Gemmill played 43 times and scored eight goals for Scotland, and captained the team on 22 occasions.  Against Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup Finals, he scored one of the greatest goals in the World Cup Finals.

LM/CM: Steve Hodge (England)
Steve Hodge joined his boyhood club Nottingham Forest as an apprentice in 1980 and helped the club to reach the semifinal of the UEFA Cup.  He also played for Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspurs and Leeds United. Capped 24 times fro England.  He went to both 1986 and 1990 World Cup Finals. He exchanged shirt with Diego Maradona after the infamous quater-final match vs Argentina in 1986.

CM: Ian Bowyer (England)
Bowyer started his career with Manchester City in 1968.  He participated in the club's Cup Winners' Cup victory. And then, he played for Leyton Orient before joining Nottingham Forest in 1973.  Over there, he was well-decorated with two European Cups, a League Cup and more.  He transferred to sunderland for a season before retuning to Nottingham Forrest.  He spent another 5 seasons over there.

RM/CM: Martin O'Neill (Northern Ireland)
Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham Forest, with whom he won the European Cup twice, in 1979 and 1980. He also played for Manchester City, Norwich, Notts County, etc. He was capped 64 times for the Northern Ireland national football team, also captaining the side at the 1982 World Cup.

FW/RWF: Ian Storey-Moore (England)
Storey-Moore was playing junior football in Scunthorpe before he joined Nottingham Forrest in 1961. From 1972 to 1974, he played for Manchester United, but an injury ended his career.  He had brief stint everywhere after 1974. Storey-Moore played once for England against Netherlands in 1970.  He was voted in the Best XI for Nottingham Forest.

LW: John Robertson (Scotland)
John Robertson played for Nottingham Forest when they were at the peak of their success under manager Brian Clough, notably scoring the only goal in a 1–0 victory in the 1980 European Cup Final against Hamburger SV. He also played 28 times for Scotland, scoring the winning goal against England in 1981 and against New Zealand in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Derby between two stints with the Forrest.

John Robertson

LW: Stewart Imlach (Scotland)

In 1952, Imlach began his career with Bury.  He wopuld play for Derby before joining Nottingham Forrest in 1955, where he won the 1959 FA Cup.  He would then play for  Luton Town, Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Dover , Chelmsford City and Crystal Palace again.  he played 4 times for Scotland, including two of the matches played in the 1958 World Cup Finals.

AM/IF: Johnny Quigley (Scotland) 

Quigley was released by Celtic.  he was almost immediately signed by Nottingham Forest in July 1957. He scored 58 goals in 270 appearances in the 7 seasons he was there.  In 1958 against Manchester City he was the first Forest player to score a First Division post-war hat trick. He would also help Nottingham Forest to win the 1959 FA Cup.  He also played for Huddersfield, Bristol City and Mansfield Town.

FW: Stan Collymore  (England)
Stan Collymore held the English transfer record when he moved from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool for £8.5 million in 1995.   He formed a great partnership with Robbie Fowler.  Unfortunately, he never lived up to expectation after his first few seasons.  He left Liverpool in 1997, where he played for Aston Villa, Leicester City, Fulham, Bradford and Real Oviedo. At the international level, he was capped three times at senior level by the England national football team.

Stan Collymore

FW: Grenville Morris (Wales)
Grenville Morris was one of the greatest players of his generation and was known as "The Prince of the Inside-Lefts".  He still holds Nottingham Forest's all-time goal scoring record with 217 in all competitions.  He also played for Aberystwyth Town and Swindon Town before joining Nottingham Forrest in 1898. He won his first full international Welsh cap at the age of 18 in 1896 against England, and went on to play 21 times for his country.

ST: Nigel Clough  (England)
Nigel Clough is most notable for his time as a player at Nottingham Forest, where he played over 400 times in two separate spells, mostly under the managership of his father Brian and scored 131 goals throughout his career making him the second highest scorer in the club's history.  He subsequently had spells with Liverpool, Manchester City and Sheffield Wednesday.  He was capped 14 times between 1989 and 1993.

ST: Trevor Francis (England)
From 1971 to 1979, Francis played for Birmigham Town.  He was England's first £1 million player when he moved from there to Nottingham Forrest. He was known for winning the European Cup with Nottingham Forest in 1979 and 1980.  His career also took him to Manchester City, Birmingham, Detroit Express, Sampdoria, Atlanta, etc. He played for England 52 times. He went to the 1982 World Cup Finals.

Trevor Francis

Honorable mention
Hans van Breukelen (Netherlands), Steve Sutton (England), Peter Grummitt (England), Charlie Thomson (England), Matz Sels (Belgium), Brian Laws (England), Des Lyttle (England), Tommy Graham (England), Johnny Metgod (Netherlands), Bob Chapman (England), Michael Dawson (England), Steve Chettle (England), Wes Morgan (Jamaica), Joe McDonald (Scotland), Colin Barrett (England), Julian Bennett (England), John Winfield (England), Geoff Thomas (England), Peter Hindley (England), Bill Whare (England), Des Lyttle (England), Matthieu Louis-Jean (France), Chris Bart-Williams (England), Jack Burkitt (England), Jeff Whitefoot (England), Franz Carr (England), Steve Hodge (England), Gary Crosby (England), Barry Lyons (England), David Phillips (Wales), Neil Webb (England), Steve Stone (England), Frank Forman (England), Bryan Roy (Netherlands), Ian Woan (England), Jermaine Jenas (England), Tinsley Lindley England), Billy Gray (England), Pierre Van Hooijdonk (Netherlands), Garry Birtles (England), Tony Woodcock (England), Wally Ardron (England), Robert Earnshaw (Wales), Tommy Wilson (England), Enoch West (England), John O'Hare (Scotland), Teddy Sheringham (England).

Squad Explanation
-- The original team was created in 2016.  I redid it in July 2025.

-- Nottingham Forrest is unlike the other all-time teams I have created. They are much smaller than the other clubs. They also spent many years in the lower divsion, but they are two-time European Cup champions.  Without that achievements, I would not consider making this team.

-- Ten players won one or both of Nottingham Forrest's two European Cup titles. I selected 10 players from those teams.  They were Peter Shilton, John McGovern, Kenny Burns, Brain Law, Viv Anderson, Trevor Francis,  Martin O'Neill, John Robertson, Larry Lloyd and Frank Clark. 

-- Nottingham Forest won the 1959 FA Cup.  Bob McKinlay, Johnny Quigley and Stewart Imlach were honored on this team.

-- The West London Sport created a Nottingham Forest/QPR combined All-Time Best 11.  Peter Shilton, Viv Anderson, Des Walker, Stuart Pearce and John Robertson were selected on that team.  I did not understand why Nottingham Forest was in a combined selection with QPR.

-- The Notting Forest News listed a group of players as legends.  They were Peter Shilton, Stan Collymore, Nigel Clough, Roy Keane, Viv Anderson, Des Walker, Stuart Pearce, John Robertson and Trevor Francis.

--  The book "Official History of Nottingham Forest" has the following players as their Best XI: Peter Shilton, Viv Anderson, Des Walker, Kenny Burns, Stuart Pearce, Martin O'Neill, Roy Keane, Archie Gemmill, Ian Storey-Moore, Trevor Francis and John Robertson.

-- In 2016, the seasonal ticket-holders voted for the club's "Greatest 11".  The lineup were: Peter Shilton, Viv Anderson, Des Walker, Kenny Burns, Stuart Pearce, Martin O'Neill, Roy Keane, John McGovern, John Robertson, Stan Collymore and Ian Storey-Moore. 

-- John McGovern played under manager Brian Clough for Derby County, Leeds United, and finally, Nottingham Forest. John O’Hare also represented all three clubs during his career. Archie Gemmill likewise played for Clough at Derby County, though he never featured for Leeds United. Additionally, Colin Todd joined Nottingham Forest in 1982.

-- Nottingham Forrest reached the semifinal of the 1984 UEFA Cup. It was the best result since the two European Cup victories in the late 1970's.The club's best result in Europe without Peter Taylor by Brian Clough's side.

-- From 1988 to 1990, Nottingham Forrest won back-to-back League Cup.  Nigel Clough, Steve Hodge, Stuart Pearce and Des Walker were selected from that team.

-- In 1995, Nottingham Forest finished third in the Premiership.  Their manager was Frank Clark who also made my all-time team as a leftback. It is their best season in recent years.  Stuart Pearce was their captain.  Liked Clark, he was a leftback.  Stan Collymore and Mark Crossley also made my all-time team.

Goalkeepers

-- Peter Shilton is known to be England's greatest goalkeeper. His time with Nottingham Forrest was his most decorared career.  He did not win anything important outside the Reds.  Over here, he won 6 titles, including two European Cups.  After Shilton, it was difficult to pick the backups.  I went with Harry Linarce and Mark Crossley.

-- Harry Linacre spent 10 seasons with the club and played over 300 games for the club.  He earned 2 English caps while playing here.  

-- Mark Crossley was a homegrown talent who spent 12 years playing

303 games for the club. Almost half of them were under Brian Clough.  He famously saved Gary Lineker' penalty in the 1991 FA Cup final—becoming one of the first keepers to stop a spot-kick in an FA Cup final at Wembley.  He was the one goalkeeper who saved a penalty from Matt Le Tissier. 

Mark Crossley

-- After Peter Shilton's departure in 1982, Hans van Breukelen arrived at Nottingham Forest and quickly proved his worth.  However, his time at the club was brief—just two seasons, one of which was marred by injury."  Steve Sutton was an understudy to Shilton, and waited until the departure of van Breukelen to become the club's number one.  He won two League Cups, making him a club hero.  Peter Grummitt played for Brian Clough when both of them were with Brighton.  He was considered to one of the greatest over there. Charlie Thomson won the FA Cup for the Reds in 1959, but he only made honorable mentions.  During the 2024–25 season, Matz Sels became the first Nottingham Forest goalkeeper to win the Premier League Golden Glove, finishing as co-winner with Arsenal's David Raya after both keepers recorded 13 clean sheets.  They were some of the best goalkeepers ever top have played for the Reds.

Defenders

-- Des Walker earned four successive selections for the PFA Team of the Year. He is consistently regarded as one of Nottingham Forest's greatest players. During his career over here, Walker won several trophies, including the Football League Cup in 1988–89 and 1989–90, the Full Members Cup in 1988–89 and 1991–92, and the Football League Centenary Tournament in 1988.

-- Then, I easily took Larry Lloyd and Kenny Burns.  Under Brian Clough, they formed a formidable partnership along with goalkeeper Peter Shilton helped the Reds to win back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980.  Meanwhile, Bob McKinlay, Forest’s all-time appearance record holder with 684 games, was a model of professionalism, rarely receiving cautions throughout his long career. He cemented his legendary status as the hero of the 1959 FA Cup final, where Forest triumphed despite finishing the match with just nine men—securing the club’s second FA Cup victory in history.

Bob McKinlay

-- Steve Chettle played 527 times for Forest in all competitions, scoring 11 goals between 1986 and 1999.  He was third in appearance record. He was a central defender, but also operated on both sides of fullback.  He was probably the best player not selected for this team.  I believed he should be taken ahead of Lloyd.

-- The other great central defenders for the club were Michael Dawson, Wes Morgan, Colin Cooper and John Metgod.  Dawson who played alongside Des Walker was better known for his career with Tottenham Hotspurs.  Morgan would win a Premiership title with Leicester.   Cooper earned two England caps in 1995 while playing for Nottingham Forest.

-- Viv Anderson is known as the first Black player to earn a senior cap with England.  Again, he was often listed as one of the club's greatest defenders.  After him, it was difficult to select the backup rightback.  Bill Whare spent his entire career over here, and was a part of the 1959 FA Cup team.  Des Lyttle, Matthieu Louis-Jean and Peter Hindley were also considered.  But it had to be Brian Laws.  He won the League Cup twice and was runner up in the League Cup and FA Cup.  He was a fan favorite according a source.

-- Stuart Pearce earned a remarkable five consecutive selections for the PFA Team of the Year, cementing his status as one of the Red’s greatest players. During his illustrious career at Nottingham Forest, he lifted two League Cups and the Full Members Cup, while also leaving an indelible mark on the 1991 FA Cup final—despite Forest’s defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, his stunning free-kick goal remains one of the competition’s most iconic moments.  For the second defender, I took Frank Clark who played in the 1979 European Cup Final.

-- Geoff Thomas was hard to find information.  He was honored by Nottingham Forest as one of their greatest leftbacks.  I found nothing on him from google search.  All information pointed to the younger Geoff Thomas (Crystal Palace, England) who dominated search results.  The younger one was born in 1964, and played two injury-rippled seasons in Notthingham Forest who starred for Crystal Palace.  My "AI" search told me the older one was named Geoff Charles Thomas.  He spent most of his career in the Second Division for much of his career.  he did not play in the 1959 FA Cup, but served as team captain during the mid-1950s, praised for his leadership in a transitional period.  Meanwhile, Joe McDonald (Scotland) was a member of the 1959 FA Cup winning team.  Nottingham Forest also nominated Julian Bennett as of their greatest leftbacks. And there was John Winfield.

Midfielders/Wingers

-- John McGovern was the no non-sense captain of two European Cup Finals.  He was Brain Clough's most important player during that era. 

-- Archie Gemmill played for Derby and Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough and Peter Taylor.  He won many trophies for them.  So, I did not doubt his importance to the two managers.  However, in Nottingham Forest, he only played two seasons.  He was dropped for the 1979 European Cup Final. Initially, I overlooked Archie Gemmill in favor of Neil Webb. While Webb excelled as a complete midfielder—offering both offensive creativity and defensive stability—I ultimately chose Gemmill due to his iconic status as one of Brian Clough's most influential players. The nostalgic connection to Forest's golden era under Clough tipped the scales in his favor. I might have be influenced by the goal he scored in the 1978 World Cup Finals against tye Netherlands.  It remained one of the greatest goals in World Cup history.  

John McGovern and Archie Gemmill

-- Steve Hodge had two spells with the club, and contributed to two League cup victories.  He was also born in Nottingham.  While others may have done more here, Hodge's significance ran deeper because of his roots.  

-- Ian Bowyer was second in appearance record. He was a big part of Brian Clough's all conquering team in the late 1970's.  How could not take him?

-- Roy Keane's transfer out of Nottingham Forest was a British record at the time.  He was not a home grown, but he started playing for the club's under-21 team.  I do consider him a product of the club. It did not really matter.  In 2016, he was voted by fans on the Greatest 11.  He was named on the PFA Team of the Year during the 1992–93 season.  He was not as decorated as some of the players I dropped for the team.  For example, Jack Burkitt fought his way from the Third Division and then, won the 1959 FA Cup.

-- Chris Bart-Williams was the team's top-scorer in 2000-2001 season, despite playing as a defensive midfielder.  He later switched to the sweeper position.  He could not get into the team as a defender because Nottingham Forrest had many more famous players playing in those positions.

-- AM Johnny Quigley (Scotland) helped the Reds to win the 1959 FA Cup.  This team needed an attack midfielder.

-- Martin O'Neil mainly played on the side, but he was two-way box-to-box midfielder.  I put him as one of the side midfielders.  Jeffrey Whitefoot also played on the right, but I preferred someone with more offensive capacity. Ian Storey Moore scored 117 goals in 275 appearances between 1963 to 1972.  He made the All-Time Best XI for both the "Official History of Nottingham Forest" book and the official 150th Anniversary tean.  Franz Carr, Gary Crosby, Barry Lyons and David Phillips were the other wide right players I considered. In 2016, I actually selected Steve Stone.  He was best remembered playing in Euro 1996 for England.  

Ian Storey Moore

-- John Robertson is a true icon of Nottingham Forest. He was instrumental in the Reds’ back-to-back European Cup triumphs, etching his name into the club’s storied history.  Stewart Imlach, honored here as part of Forest’s 1959 FA Cup-winning team, holds a special place in the hearts of supporters. Not only was he the first Forest player ever selected to represent Scotland, but he also played in the 1958 World Cup Finals. While Andy Reid made his mark primarily in the lower divisions with Forest, his contributions remain part of the club’s fabric.  I also took a closer look at Ian Woan. Reid and Woan only made honorable mentions.

-- Jermaine Jenas came from Nottingham Forest's academy. but he  was more famous playing for Tottenham Hotspurs.

Forwards

-- Grenville Morris still holds Nottingham Forest's all-time goal scoring record with 217 in all competitions.  He joined Nottingham Forrest in 1898 after the club won the FA Cup.  The 1898 FA Cup team remained

-- When Brian Clough signed Francis from Birmingham City in February 1979, he became Britain’s first £1 million player—a landmark moment in football history.  Just months later, Francis etched his name into Nottingham Forest folklore by scoring the decisive goal in the 1979 European Cup Final against Malmö FF.

-- Nigel Clough was Nottingham Forrest's second all-time leading scorer.  He was on the team, not because of his name. He just happened to be Brian Clough's son. There was, however, something undeniably special about seeing father and son unite in Forest’s glory days—a unique footballing dynasty. When he was transferred to Liverpool, he was one of Liverpool's most expensive ever signing.

Nigel Clough

-- In Nottingham Forest, Stan Collymore was one of the best players in England.  He helped the club to secure promotion to the top flight, remains one of the highlights of his career.  His career disappeared after his departure from here, but that should not count against him. 

-- Tony Woodcock was homegrown.  He broke into the Forest first team in 1976–77, helping the team to promotion to the First Division. He was the PFA Young Player of the Year: 1977–78.  Garry Birtles won Nottingham Forest Player of the Year award in the 1978-1979 season.  It was one of the club's greatest season.

-- I found a player named Tinsley Lindley.  He scored 14 goals for England in 13 internationals. Lindley was given an O.B.E. in January 1918 for his work during World War One and in 1935 he was also awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.  He played his entire career with this club.  I put him on honorable mention.

-- Wally Ardron still holds the record for scoring most Forest league goals in one season (36 goals in 1950–51).   he might be a better candidate than Collymore, but the younger generation voted Collymore into the their All-Time team.

-- Teddy Sheringham only spent a season here.

Formation

Newcastle United Greatest All-Time Team

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1969

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

England
North East England, NorthWest England,Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal,
Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, Everton, Ipswich
Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, 
Leeds United, Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for Newcastle United.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, ever since.  They have won four League Championship titles, six FA Cups and a Charity Shield, as well as the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Newcastle United has the ninth highest total of trophies won by an English club.

Newcastle has a local rivalry with Sunderland, with whom they have contested the Tyne–Wear derby since 1898. The club's traditional kit colours are black and white striped shirts, black shorts and black socks. Their crest has elements of the city coat of arms, which features two grey seahorses. Before each home game, the team enters the field to "Local Hero", and "Blaydon Races" is also sung during games.

1955 FA Cup Winner

Team
GK: Shay Given (Ireland)
Shay Given started his career with Celtic in Scotland, but made his professional debut with Blackburn Rovers.  He was remembered for playing with Newcastle United from 1997 to 2009.  He was voted into PFA Team of the Year twice, 2001-2002 and 2005-2006.  He later played for Manchester City, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough F.C. and Stoke.  He earned 126 caps for Ireland. He played in the 2002 World Cup Finals and the European Championship in 2010 and 2016.

Shay Given

GK:  Ronnie Simpson (Scotland)
Ronnie Simpson was one of the "Lisbon Lions" who won the European Cup in 1967.  He also played for Queen's Park, Third Lanark and Hibernian. From 1951 to 1960, he played for Newcastle United. He represented Great Britain at the 1948 Olympics, but he did not play for Scotland until 1966.  He set a new record for being the oldest player to make his Scotland debut, aged 36 years and 196 days.  He was considered to be Celtics' best ever keeper.

GK: Jimmy Lawrence (Scotland)
Born in Glasgow, Lawrence's first club was Partick Athletic, from where he moved to Glasgow Perthshire. Although still connected to Glasgow Perthshire, he sporadically played for Edinburgh side Hibernian. He played with Newcastle for eighteen years after joining the Tyneside club in 1904 and still holds the record for making the most appearances for them, 496 matches in total.  Capped once.

RB: Billy McCracken (Northern Ireland)
He was one of the most successful defender of his time.  McCracken played for the English club Newcastle United from 1904 to 1924, helping them win three League titles and the FA Cup. He was known for setting the offside trap for the attackers.  The offside rule was changed because of him. He was a part of Ireland(IFA) that became the co-champion of the 1903 British Home Championship, the first time the tournament was not won by England or Scotland.

RB: David Craig (Northern Ireland)
David Craig joined Newcastle United in 1962 and went on to make 412 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals. He left the club in 1978 after retiring from the game, and remains seventh-highest appearance-maker for the club. Frank Clark played on the other side. He played 25 times for Northern Ireland, fighting a position with Arsenal's Pat Rice at the time.

CB: Bobby Moncur (Scotland)

Bobby Moncur played a total of 296 times for Newcastle United, scoring three goals – all in the two-legged final of the 1969 Fairs Cup. He also played 16 times for Scotland between 1968 and 1972. In 1974 after Captaining Newcastle in the FA Cup final, he was transferred to Sunderland, moving again to Carlisle United in 1976, where he ended his playing career.

CB: Philippe Albert (Belgium)
Philippe Albert made 41 appearances for Belgium from 1987 to 1997, and represented his country at the 1990 and 1994 World Cup Finals.   He played for Charleroi, KV Mechelen and Anderlecht in his native Belgium, and for English clubs Newcastle United and Fulham. He was known as an attack-minded centre-back for his forward runs from defence in the team dubbed as "the Entertainers"

Philippe Albert

CB: Frank Brennan (Scotland)
Brennan was a tough centre half who moved to Newcastle United from Airdrieonians for £7,500 in 1946.  He appeared on 351 occasions for the Magpies between 1946 and 1956.  He was a part of Newcastle United's victory at the FA Cup in 1951 and 1952. He was indicted into Newcastle Hall of Fame. He was capped 8 times for Scotland.

CB: Brian Kilcline (England)

Kilcline captained Coventry City in the 1987 FA Cup Final at Wembley.  He played briefly for Oldham Athletic before joining Newcastle United in 1992, Keegan later remarked that Kilcline was "the most important signing" he had ever made for the club. During the 1993–94 season, he briefly played for Swindon Town in the Premier League.

LB: Frank Hudspeth (England) 
Hudspeth spent nineteen seasons at Newcastle, from 1910 to 1929. This makes him the joint longest servant for the club along with Billy McCracken. During his time at the club he became a popular figure amongst the fans and gained the nickname 'Old Surefoot' for his reliability. He captained the team from 1923 to 1926.

LB: John Beresford (England)
As a player, Beresford was a left back who notably played in the Premier League with Newcastle United and Southampton. His time at St James' Park saw him win the Football League First Division title in 1993, finishing runners-up in two Premier League seasons, as well as appearing in the 1998 FA Cup final.  he was called up by England, but never earned a cap.  He played twice England B in 1994.

DM: Joe Harvey (England)
Joe Harvey played briefly for different clubs and then, joined Newcastle in 1945, where he stayed until his retirement in 1953.  He spent much of his career at Newcastle United. He was the club's longest serving captain.  He captained the team to two successive FA Cup victories in 1951 and 1952.  Later, he became Newcastle's most successful manager, and as of the 2014–15 season, the last to win a major trophy. Harvey was a member of Newcastle United's Hall of Fame.

Joe Harvey with the 1951 FA Cup

CB/CM/DM: Colin Veitch (England)

Veitch appeared for Rutherford College team, regarded at the time as one of the finest amateur teams in North East England, where he attracted the attention of Newcastle United. Veitch captained the successful United side which won League Championships in 1905, 1907 and 1909, the FA Cup in 1910 and were FA Cup finalists in 1905, 1906, 1908 and 1911. He left the club because of the War. He also represented England on six occasions. 

CM/WH/DM: Jimmy Scoular (Scotland)  

Scoular signed for Portsmouth in 1945 from Gosport Borough.  After helping the club to consecutive league titles in 1948–49 and 1949–50, he joined Newcastle United in 1953. He captained Newcastle to victory in the 1955 FA Cup Final.  He stayed there until 1960. He later played as a player-manager for Bradford Park Avenue.  He played 9 times for Scotland,

CM: Rob Lee (England)

Rob Lee came through the academy of Charlton Athletic and established himself in the first team by the 1984–85 season.  He was sold after the start of 1992–93 season to Newcastle United.  He was on the PFA Team of the Year (Premier League) in 1996. He played for England between 1994 and 1998, scoring twice in 21 appearances. He was in the squad for the 1998 World Cup under Glenn Hoddle. 

AM/LM/CN/LB: Gary Speed (Wales)
Gary Speed played for Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United.  At one point, he held the record for the most appearances in the Premier League until surpassed by David James.  He was best remembered for winning the English league title in 1992 with Leeds United.  He made the PFA Team of the year in 1993. From 19988 to 2004, he played for Newcastle United. He was capped 85 times for Wales and served as the captain.

Gary Speed

RW: Jock Rutherford  (England)
Rutherford was known for his longevity; he played nearly six hundred Football League and FA Cup matches, despite four seasons of football being cancelled due to World War I. He started his career at Newcastle United. Nicknamed "the Newcastle flyer", he spent ten seasons at the "Magpies", picked up three First Division medals, and played in five FA Cup finals (1905, 1906, 1908, 1910 and 1911). Won 11 caps.

RW/AM: Nolberto Solano (Peru)
In 1998, Nolberto Solano became the first Peruvian to play in the Premier League when he joined Newcastle United from Boca Juniors. He played 15 seasons in England.  He also played for Aston Villa, West Ham and Leicester City. At home, he is associated with Sporting Cristal. He earned 95 caps for Peru.  He made his debut as a 18 years old in 1994.

LW: Bobby Mitchell (Scotland)
Mitchell started his career with Third Lanark in 1942 before joining Newcastle United in 1949. He played for the Magpies from 1949 to 1961, becoming something of a cult hero amongst supporters who nicknamed him "Bobby Dazzler". He was an instrumental part of the team that won three FA Cups in a five-year period. Mitchell won two caps for Scotland national team, and scored on his debut against Denmark in 1951.

LW: David Ginola (France)
For the national team, David Ginola only played17 times.  He was blamed for the goal against Bulgaria that eliminated France for the 1994 World Cup qualification.  He moved to England shortly afterward.  Ginola became a big star at the English Preimer League in the late 1990's.  In England, he played for Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspurs, Aston Villa and Everton.  He won both PFA and FWA Player of the Year in 1998-1999.

David Ginola

AM: Paul Gascoigne (England)
Gazza was the most gifted player of his generation, but his career was marked controversy and injuries.  He played for Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Lazio.   In 1995, he joined Rangers with a club record fee. He had a successful career at Rangers, but he left in 1998 and went to play for many clubs all over the world.  For England, he earned 57 times.  He was remembered for the tears in his eyes as he received his yellow card against West Germany in the semi-final.

FW/WF/AM: Peter Beardsley (England)
Peter Beardsley was one of the few players i history to have played for Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United and Manchester City. His first successes came in the early 1980's while playing for Newcastle United.  In 1987, he joined Liverpool as the most expensive player in England's history.  Together with John Barnes, they formed one of the best English sides of the later 1980's. He had 56 caps for England.

CF: Jackie Milburn (England)
Jackie Milburn was best remembered for his career with Newcastle United and was considered legend there.  He was also known as Wor Jackie (particularly in North East England, a Geordie dialectal version of 'Our Jackie'). He won three FA Cup titles in 5 years during the 1950's. He was a second cousin to Jack and Bobby Charlton.  He had 13 caps for England.  He went to the World Cup finals in 1950, which was England's first ever appearance in the Finals.

Jackie Milburn

ST: Les Ferdinand (England)
Les Ferdinand's playing career included spells at Queens Park Rangers, Beşiktaş, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers, Reading and Watford during which period he earned 17 caps for England. Ferdinand is the eighth highest scorer in the Premier League with 149 goals.  He was also the PFA Players' Player of the Year in the 1995–96 season.  He is Rio Ferdinand's cousin.

ST: Hughie Gallacher (Scotland)
Hughie Gallacher is one of the greatest British footballers in the pre-war generation. He scored 463 goals, playing senior league football for Airdrieonians, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Derby County, Notts County, Grimsby Town and Gateshead. Prior to his he also played and scored for then non-league Queen of the South. For Scotland,  he scored 23 goals in 20 games for Scotland.  He was also a member of "Wembley Wizards", the Scottish team that beat England 5-1 in 1928.

ST: Alan Shearer (England)
Shearer is the all-time leading top-scorer for the Premiership.  In 1992, he joined Blackburn Rovers from Southampton in a record transfer. He won the Premiership for 1994-1995 season.  In 1996, he joined his home town club, Newcastle United for a world record transfer fees. He was FWA Player of the Year in 1994, and PFA Player of the Year in 1995 and 1997.  For England, he earned 63 caps. IN 1996, he led England to the semi-final of Euro 1996 at home, winning the Golden boot award. He also played the 1998 WC Finals and Euro 2000.

Alan Sheaer

Honorable Mention
Pavel Srníček (Czech Republic), Willie McFaul (N. Ireland), Tim Krul (Netherlands), Mike Mahoney (England), Steve Harper (England), Nick Pope (England), Steven Taylor (England), Jamaal Lascelles (England), John McGrath (Republic of Ireland), John McNamee (Scotland), Glenn Roeder (England), Ollie Burton (Wales), Steve Howey (England), Nikos Dabizas (Greece), Jonathan Woodgate (England), Daren Peacock (England), Fabricio Coloccini (Argentina), Steve Howey (England),  Steve Watson (England), Aaron Hughes (N.Ireland), Warren Barton (England), Kieran Trippier (England), Irving Nattrass (England), Bobby Cowell (England), Frank Clark (England), Alf McMichael (N.Ireland) Alan Kennedy (England), David Fairhurst (England), James Howie (Scotland), Bruno Guimarães (Brazil), Sandro Tonali (Italy), David Batty (England), Stan Seymour (Scotland), Keith Gillespie (N.Ireland), Terry Hibbitt (England), Faustino Asprilla (Colombia), Chris Waddle (England), Laurent Robert (France), Shola Ameobi (Nigeria), Kelvin Nolan (England), Kieron Dyer (England), Malcolm McDonald (England), Andy Cole (England), Kevin Keegan (England),  Jorge "George" Robledo (Chile/England), Mirandinha (Brazil), Len White (England), Wyn Davies (Wales), Micky Quinn (England), Alexander Isak (Sweden).

Squad Explanation

-- The original team was created in 2016.  I redid it in July 2025.

-- Alan Shearer is probably Newcastle United's greatest player.  Hughie Gallacher, Shay Given and Jackie Milburn were also undisputed selection for the club.

-- Newcastle won the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, but only two players made my team (David Craig and Bobby Moncur). Jim Scott who scored one of the goals in the Final only played two seasons at St James Park.
-- Kevin Keegan's "the Entertainers" were one of Newcastle United's greatest sides.  They just fell short of winning the Premiership in the 1995-1996 season. I selected Philippe Albert, John Beresford, Rob Lee, Les Ferdinand, David Ginola and Peter Beardsley.   Brian Kilcline also played under manager Kevin Keegan, but he left before the club became a top team.  Alan Shearer joined the club after the 1995-1996 season. 

-- In 2023, Fourfourtwo ranked Newcastle United's Top Ten greatest players.  They were: 1) Alan Shearer, 2) Jackie Milburn, 3) Hughie Gallacher, 4) Peter Beardsley, 5) Bobby Moncur, 6) Kevin Keegan, 7) Shay Given, 8) Rob Lee, 9) Paul Gascoigne and 10) Malcolm MacDonald.

-- In 2017, the fans voted for Newcastle United's All-Time Best XI on their official website in conjunction with Evening Chronicle for 125th year anniversary. The results: Shay Given, David Craig, John Beresford, Bob Moncur, Phillipe Albert, Peter Beardsley, Paul Gascoigne, David Ginola, Alan Shearer and Jackie Milburn.  

-- The 1SPORTS1 created for Newcastle United's All-Time Best XI.  Their team was followed: Jimmy Lawrence, Bill McCracken, Phillipe Albert, Bobby Moncur, Frank Hudspeth, Rob Lee, Joe Harvey, Peter Beardsley, Jackie Milburn, Hughie Gallacher and Alan Shearer.

-- The 90min.com came up their 10 greatest footballers for Newcastle United, but the list was unranked.  The 10 players were: Alan Shearer, Jackie Milburn, Jock Rutherford, Shay Given, Hughie Gallacher, Les Ferdinand, Andy Cole, Peter Beardsley, Kevin Keegan and Paul Gascoigne. 

Goalkeepers

-- Shay Given spent 12 seasons with the club. He was almost the undisputed number one for the club. Jimmy Lawrence played over 500 games for the club. He is the record holder for the most competitive appearances in a Newcastle shirt. He also won 3 League titles and won the FA Cup with the Magpies.
-- Ronnie Simpson was known for his career with Celtic because of their European Cup victory.  He actually spent 9 seasons with Newcastle United from 1951 to 1960 before returning to Scotland. He won the FA Cup twice with Newcastle. He would join Celtic in 1964. 

-- Pavel Srníček was my 4th choice.  He was a fan favorite.  He also made a sensational return at the end of his career to cover an injured Shay Given.  Since 2022, Nick Pope is making a name, but it would be a long time before he would be considered.

-- The other notable goalkeepers included Willie McFaul, Tim Krul, Mike Mahoney and Steve Harper.

Defenders

-- Bobby Moncur and Phillipe Albert were voted by the fans as the two greatest centerbacks of the club for the Newcastle United official 125th anniversary team.  Moncur was consistently rated as one of the club's greatest players.  In the 1968 Fairs Cup Final, he scored all three out of the six goals by Newcastle as they lifted the trophy. Albert brought a new attacking style to the club's defense during his time here.  He was an important part of Kevin Keegan's "Entertainers".

Bobby Moncur

-- Frank Brennan was nicknamed "The Rock of Tyneside".  He was a part of Newcastle United's victory at the FA Cup in 1951 and 1952. I was fairly certain that he was the third central defender for this team.

-- I narrowed down of my choices of the fourth central defender to Daren Peacock or Brian Kilcline.  Fabricio Coloccini, Nikos Dabizas, Steve Howey and perhaps Jonathan Woodgate followed close behind.
-- Daren Peacock won the Newcastle Player of the Year for the 1994-1995 season after they finished second in the league.  That season, Les Ferdinand won the PFA Player of the Year while David Gionla was a star at the club.  It said something about Peacock's impact to the club.   Nicknamed "The Killer," Brian Kilcline spent just two seasons at the club, but his impact was significant. He became the first signing made by Kevin Keegan during a critical period when the team was battling relegation to the Third Division in its centenary year. Many credited Kilcline's leadership with playing a pivotal role in helping the club avoid the drop, laying the foundation for the successes that followed after his departure. Some said that the club would go bankrupt without him.  So, I decided to go with him over Peacock.

-- Fabricio Coloccini's career never stood out, but with Newcastle United, he finally fulfilled his potential. He was on the PFA Team of the Year in 2011-2012 season.  Nikos Dabizas also received plenty of mentions among the greatest central defenders. Jonathan Woodgate who was injury prone only played a handful of games for the Magpies. Steve Howey started as a striker but quickly converted into a central defender.  He was an important member of Kevin Keegan's side in the 1990's.  They all made honorable mentions.

-- Steven Taylor, Jamaal Lascelles, John McGrath, John McNamee and Glenn Roeder also made honorable mentions.

-- David Craig was an undisputed selection as the rightback on this team.  Aaron Hughes sometimes rated as the second-best rightback in Magpies' history.  He was known to be one of manager Bobby Robson's unsung heros.  However, I went with Billy McCracken.  He was so skilled at executing offside traps against opponents that the offside law was eventually changed because of his impact. I considered this historical important. He also spent 19 years at Newcastle.

David Craig

-- In 1995, Warren Barton became the most expensive defender in English football when he moved to Newcastle United for £4 million.  At the time of writing, Kieran Trippier is also making a name.  I also looked into Steve Watson, Irving Nattrass and Bobby Cowell. None of them could be considered ahead Craig and McCracken.

-- Frank Hudspeth spent 20 seasons over here.  He should be my first choice leftback.  And I also took John Beresford who was voted as the club's greatest leftback in the 2017 poll.  The younger fans knew him more because he was played duirng "Entertainers" generation. Frank Clark was a part of the Fairs Cup winning team in 1969.  Alf McMichael (Northern Ireland) played over 400 times for Newcastle United between 1950 and 1963.  He won the 1952 FA Cup. At one point he was considered the best left-back in Britain and was a popular player amongst Newcastle United supporters. Alan Kennedy played here before making a name with Liverpool. I also looked into David Fairhurst.  I put them on honorable mentions.

Midfielders/Wingers

-- Joe Harvey captained the club to their two FA Cup victories in 1951 and 1952 .  He was voted into 1SPORTS1's Newcastle United's All-Time Best XI.  He was sometimes listed as one of the club's greatest defensive players.  Rob Lee was voted by FourFourtwo as one of Newcastle United's 10 greatest footballers.  He was an all-rounder type of midfielder.  Ideally, this team needed more defensive midfielder or deep players. In 2025, I added Colin Veitch and Jimmy Scoular to the team. 

-- Colin Veitch would be a defensive midfielder in the modern era.  I found an article describing him as Newcastle United's greatest player. He was nominated on the poll for the official Newcastle United All-Time Best Xi.  The poll described him as an all-round midfielder. As the captain of the club, he won the League Title in 1905, 1907 and 1909, making Newcastle United the first team to win three titles. Being a hometown hero and Geordie also made him a great candidate for this team. 

-- Jimmy Scoular captained Newcastle to victory in the 1955 FA Cup Final as they beat Manchester City 3–1.   The club waited another 70 years before winning the EFL cup in 2025.  He was known as one of the best tacklers in his time.

-- Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali helped Newcastle to win the 2025 EFL Cup, their first major trophy in 70 years.  Both played in the center of the pitch.  They only made honorable mention alongside David Batty.  Batty was a part of the great side in the 1994-1995 season, but he only spent a few seasons here.  His best stints were also with Leeds United or Blackburn Rovers.

-- Gary Speed could play in various positions, including left midfield, central midfield, and left-back.  I could also use him in the center of the pitch.

-- Jock Rutherford became the club's youngest ever scorer and youngest ever debutant at the age of 17. He began as a centre forward but switched to the right wing as the 1903/04 season began.  He also won three league titles and a FA Cup with the Magpies. Nolberto Solano was a big fan favourite at his time, but he only spent a short time here. However, he was their All-Time assist leader in the Premier era. Peter Beardsley who also played as a right-sdie wing-forward would serve as the backup wide player on the right. 

-- On the left, I easily selected David Ginola who won both PFA and FWA Player of the Year in 1998-1999.  He was one of the star players of the "Entertainers".  Then, I added Bobby Mitchell. He won three FA Cups.  They kept Stan Seymour known as "Mr.Newcastle" off the team.

-- I also could not select Chris Waddle on the left because I already had David Ginola and Bobby Mitchell while Gary Speed could also operate on the left side.  I also took Paul Gascoigne over him as an attack midfielder.  Gascoigne is a homegrown player. He was named as the PFA Young Player of the Year and listed on the PFA Team of the Year in the 1987–88 season.  

Paul Gascoigne 

Forwards

-- Alan Shearer or Jackie Mulburn was considered two of Newcastle players.  Shearer turned down some of the greatest clubs in the world to join Newcastle united, a club he supported since childhood.  Over here, he won one of his two PFA Player of the Year awards. Bobby and Jack Charlton's mother Cissie was related to Jackie Milburn.  Some sites suggested that they were brother and sister, but others said that she was his cousin.  Her meridian name was Milburn.

-- Many put Peter Beardsley among the greatest ever player for Newcastle United.  In his first stint with the club, he formed a deadly attack line with Kevin Keegan and Chris Waddle.  He returned to Newcastle United for his second stint under Keegan who was the manager at that point in the summer of 1993 as a "has-been player".  However, he revitalised his career here.  He helped Andy Cole to become the top scorer of the Premiership in the 1993-1994 season.  Peter Beardsley was on the PFA Team of the Year.  

-- Hughie Gallacher holds the record for the highest number of "league" goals scored in a season with 36.  He is consistently selected into All-Time teams as well as ranking among the greatest players for the club.  He was also an undisputed selection at foward.

Hughie Gallacher

-- The final striker position was between Les Ferdinand and Andy Cole. Cole played for the club from 1993 to 1995, scoring 68 goals in 86 appearances. Both players scored a lot of goals, and only spent two seasons there in the Premiership (Cole spent one more season in Division One). Cole scored 40 goals in his first season, which was a record for the club in all competition for a single season.   However, I selected Ferdinand because his team came second twice in the league in his only two seasons. He was also the PFA Players' Player of the Year in the 1995–96 season.  He formed a successful strike partnership with Alan Shearer.  The fans gave him the nickname "Sir Les".  Cole on the other hand might have a better strike ratio than Ferdinand, but he was only a young player on the rise over here. Ferdinand was more established, I felt.

 -- Jorge "George" Robledo made honorable mention because he broke a historical milestone.  He was the first non-British to be the top scorer in England.  He was known to be the striker partner of Jackie Milburn.  For nearly 50 years, he was the highest scoring (non-Irish) overseas player in the English topflight. 

-- Kevin Keegan only played two seasons with Newcastle, but he helped them to gain promotion from the second division.  The promotion itself was a historical moment for the club.  I have rewarded players on other teams who helped their club for historical moment.  For Newcastle, that player happened to be Keegan.  

-- Len White often got overlooked because he played with jackie Milburn.  He is the club's all-time third highest goalscorer behind Milburn and Alan Shearer.  Malcolm McDonald also missed out because of thge players ahead of them.  He was a member of Newcastle Hall of Flame.

-- In 1987, Mirandinha became the first Brazilian to play in England, but his career was not too good in England. He does not make my all-time team, but I put him on Honorable Mention for his historical role.

Formation