‘He just had an aura’ – the cult of Asprilla

Keith Gillespie assumed that he was having dinner.

The former Newcastle United winger celebrated his surprise 50th birthday party earlier this year with the help of only his closest and dearest.

And a special visitor flew in from Colombia to attend.

According to Gillespie, “The doors opened, and Tino Asprilla was the first thing I saw.” He was waiting for me while he was there. Because he’s something you don’t expect to see at Bangor Golf Club, it was quite bizarre.

It surprised me with how lovely it was. Someone just made up my belief that they would make the effort to fly in for an evening.

Nearly three decades have passed since the pair, who pitted Newcastle against Barcelona, wreaked havoc.

However, some friendships are unquestionably timeless.

We both agreed that night, according to Gillespie.

In truth, the entire team reconnected in September 1997.

Former Newcastle defender Philippe Albert argued that “we had nothing to lose because Barcelona were the big winners.” It may have been Newcastle’s first Champions League appearance.

The Catalan giants “thought they would only have to turn up and they would beat us,” said Shay Given, who was in goal that night.

At a St James’ Park that was rocking, that did not turn out to be the case.

Givingen said, “I have never seen such a place before.” Unbelievable . “

However, it was unknown whether Asprilla’s hat-trick would even be a part of his team’s 3-2 victory.

Gillespie recalled how Asprilla “came in late from international duty the weekend before going on strike, where there was speculation he might not play.”

However, Sir Kenny Dalglish, the manager, did not have a ton of options open-handed.

Les Ferdinand had just been sold to Spurs a few months prior, but Alan Shearer has a serious ankle injury.

It’s no wonder Warren Barton, a former right-back, recalls “Kenny giving Tino the benefit of the doubt.”

Barton could see his team-mate was “in the zone” that night, which is not the best way to prepare for a match of this magnitude.

Before the games, Tino said, “He was always very quiet.” But he only looked at himself and had an aura about him. His stage was this.

Asprilla made a quick impact by winning a penalty and starting his side from the spot midway through the first half.

He was clearly in the mood right away.

The game of his life was not just Asprilla.

Gillespie was the first to admit that he was “a little bit in awe” as Rivaldo, Luis Figo, Luis Enrique, and Ivan de la Pena were all staring ahead as he looked across the tunnel before the game.

The Northern Irishman, however, was not well-versed in Sergi, who was at the time considered one of Europe’s best left-backs.

Gillespie wanted to see how quickly his marker was moving.

And the winger repeatedly demanded the ball out on the right once he became aware of Sergi’s beating.

Gillespie dropped the shoulder because he knew he had to get there first, and he whipped the ball into the box instead of up his sleeve.

The rest was left to Asprilla.

With a nearly identical goal, Asprilla made it 3-0 with a double-double lead, not to mention making it 3-0 with a bullet header, which stunned Newcastle owner Sir John Hall.

That night, Tino was inspirational, Sir John said. When the ball landed on him and he hung in the air, bang!

Through Luis Enrique and Figo, Barcelona reclaimed two goals, but Newcastle held on. Just .

One of the club’s most well-known victories still stands today.

In some ways, Asprilla’s decision to never score another goal for the club before moving back to Parma a few months later was fitting.

What could possibly improve?

Asprilla stayed alive for this night.

In fact, the striker scored nine goals for Newcastle in 11 European games compared to 48 Premier League games.

However, Asprilla made his memorable debut in the top flight after leaving Parma for £6 million in February 1996.

After spending a few days in a fur coat in the snow, the new signing was not expected to play until later in the day.

Before the game against Middlesbrough, he even enjoyed a glass of red wine with his pre-game meal.

After watching his side lose 1-0 at the Riverside, Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan felt moved to accept his record signing.

Asprilla duly scored Steve Watson’s equalizer, and the maverick’s rubber legs helped turn the game around as the league leaders finished with a 2-1 victory.

“He made the difference right away,” Albert said. This is only possible from the great players.

At a crucial moment in the title race, it gave Keegan some thought.

Newcastle had already won seven of their previous eight premier league games, but Keegan was privately concerned that his team was starting to look a little predictable.

Therefore, Asprilla was accommodated in the Newcastle manager’s starting lineup.

Gillespie recalled how Peter Beardsley moved over to the right as the “balance of the team” changed as the Northern Irishman left.

Peter wasn’t a winger, he said, going from the 4-4-2 we played. Peter decided not to go down the same route as I did and accept Les [Ferdinand] in the middle.

“But dropping me was probably simple. I wasn’t one to knock on doors or engage in verbal altercation with managers because I was the squad’s youngest member.

Gillespie, however, made it clear that Manchester United had signed “two great players” in Asprilla and fellow mid-season signing David Batty. He instead gave the club credit for their “return on that run.”

After Newcastle lost the title to Manchester United, who won 13 of their final 15 league games, the pair quickly became easy targets for outsiders.

People who Asprilla shared a dressing room felt the same way.

Albert recalled that Asprilla would attend training sessions without being “with us without being with us.”

His poor timekeeping is also well documented.

However, Asprilla was a very well-known actor who Albert called “one of us from day one.”

After Asprilla’s team members failed to arrive for a team lunch in Newcastle, his worried teammates once even called a cab to his home to find him asleep.

Given, who joined the club 18 months after Asprilla’s arrival, described this as a “funny character.”

Tino claimed that he simply had real personality both on and off the pitch. His English wasn’t great, but he was well-versed in swear words. That much, I am aware of.

He also had an “unplayable” attitude on his day, not least when he played against Barcelona.

Asprilla watching from the stands on Thursday means that Barton is well aware that the current team does not need to look too far back in history for inspiration.