With money burning a hole in his pocket following the departure of Andy Cole to Manchester United, Kevin Keegan turned to Queens Park Rangers' Les Ferdinand as the man he hoped would score the goals to fire Newcastle to the Premiership title. Ferdinand almost did exactly that during a sensational first year on Tyneside but, ultimately, the club had to settle for second place behind Manchester United. Les started his Newcastle career in cracking fashion with a debut goal in a 3-0 home win over Coventry and a brace in the following game as Bolton were brushed aside 3-1. Thereafter the goals continued to flow freely with one purple patch bringing nine goals in five games, including a hat-trick in a 6-1 romp against Wimbledon. As the club began to struggle towards the end of the season Ferdinand's goals began to dry up somewhat and he was to score just four goals in the last thirteen League games, compared to twenty-one in his first twenty-four outings. That should not take anything away from what had been a superb first season for Les, however, as his return of twenty-five League goals was everything, and more, that Kevin Keegan could have asked for. With the record £15 million arrival of Alan Shearer during the summer of 1997 Ferdinand was forced to hand over the much fabled number nine shirt which had been worn by such legends of the past as Jackie Milburn and Malcolm MacDonald. Les managed to weigh in with sixteen goals as the Geordies once again finished runners-up but with the club anxious to balance the books it proved to be his last season at St. James Park. Tottenham Hotspur was his destination, with the Londoners paying the exact same fee of £6 million that Newcastle had parted with two years previously. (David Scranage)