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Often appearing disinterested during games, 'Tino' Asprilla regularly
lurched from the sublime to the ridiculous; possessing seemingly rubber
legs he could devastate defenders with his skill or fall over attempting
a simple pass. Bought from Italian giants Parma for £6, 700, 000 in
February 1996, Tino's debut came at Middlesbrough. Keegan picked the
Colombian International forward as substitute for the game without any
intention of playing him, but with Newcastle trailing 1-0 and with 20
minutes remaining, Asprilla was introduced to English football.
Transforming the game, he turned Steve Vickers inside out before
crossing for Steve Watson to equalise and left Middlesbrough's defence
dumfounded several other times, before Newcastle ran out 2-1 winners.
Sadly, Faustino Asprilla's purchase was widely, and wrongly, blamed for
Newcastle's capitulation as they finished 2nd in the league.
The arrival
of Alan Shearer in the close season seemed to signal that Asprilla
would become a fringe player. Yet, in a season where Keegan resigned to
be replaced by Kenny Dalglish, Tino played 24 league games in his only
full season at Newcastle. Asprilla, however, reserved his best
performances for Europe. In the 1996/97 UEFA Cup competition he scored 5
goals before Newcastle were eliminated by Monaco. Tino was suspended
for the first leg against Monaco, after being booked for celebrating a
goal, against Metz, by removing his shirt and hoisting it aloft on a
corner flag. Finishing 2nd in 1996/97, brought the Champions League road
show to Tyneside. A Barcelona side including Figo and Rivaldo were the
first to visit St. James Park and within 48 minutes Asprilla became a
legend, scoring a superb hat-trick. The first came from the penalty spot
and the next two were almost identical; Keith Gillespie providing the
right wing cross with Tino rising like a salmon to head firmly home.
Despite Barcelona pulling two goals back, the night belonged to Asprilla
as Newcastle won 3-2. Ironically these were to be Tino's last goals in a
black-and-white shirt, having made 48 league appearances scoring 8
goals (plus 9 goals in 11 European games), Dalglish sold him back to
Parma for £6,000,000 in January 1998. (Gordon Tait)
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