David Ginola
Left Winger · Newcastle United · France
About David Ginola
David Ginola is the most naturally gifted winger to have played in the Premier League — a player of devastating skill, pace, and charisma who won the PFA and FWA Player of the Year awards in the same season (1999) while playing for mid-table Tottenham. He won the French title with Paris (FRA) Saint-Germain, the FA Cup with Tottenham (1999), and played for France — though was controversially scapegoated for France's failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.
David Ginola's story
The Scapegoat
In November 1993, France needed only a draw against Bulgaria to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. In injury time, Ginola received the ball in his own half and played a long cross into the penalty area. Bulgaria counter-attacked and scored. France were eliminated. Manager Gérard Houllier publicly blamed Ginola — describing the pass as "a crime against the team." Ginola was dropped from the national team and never recovered his international career, winning only 17 caps despite being one of the finest attackers of his generation.
1999 — The Double Award
In 1998-99, Ginola won both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year — while playing for Tottenham Hotspur, who finished 11th. No player before or since has won both individual awards for a club that finished lower than tenth. The awards reflected pure individual quality — players and journalists rewarding a season of extraordinary personal performances regardless of team context.
The Newcastle Years
Ginola joined Newcastle (ENG) in 1995 and became a beloved figure on Tyneside — his skill, charisma, and directness making him the most exciting player in Kevin Keegan's attack. He was part of the Newcastle (ENG) team that led the Premier League by 12 points in January 1996 before collapsing in one of the competition's most remarkable title races. His contributions that season were among the finest by a winger in Premier League history.
Did you know?
- 🥇 He won both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year in 1999 while playing for 11th-placed Tottenham — the only player to win both awards for a club finishing outside the top eight.
- 😔 He was publicly scapegoated by France manager Gérard Houllier for France's 1994 World Cup qualification failure — a controversy that effectively ended his international career at 26, limiting him to just 17 caps despite being one of Europe's finest attackers.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married Coraline; they have two children: Andrea and Carla. He settled in England and France and became a prominent media personality.
- 💈 His shoulder-length dark hair and physical presence made him one of the most recognisable players in football — he modelled for L'Oréal and appeared in films — combining athletic excellence with the appearance of a film star.
- 🏴 He played seven seasons in the Premier League for Newcastle, Tottenham, Aston Villa, and Everton — leaving behind a legacy as the most gifted winger the competition had seen in its first decade.
- ⚽ His goal for Tottenham against Barnsley in the FA Cup — running 60 yards, beating four defenders, and placing the ball in the corner — was voted Goal of the Season and is considered one of the finest FA Cup goals in history.
- 📊 He won only 17 international caps for France despite his club excellence — a direct consequence of the 1993 scapegoating — meaning the generation that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 did so without their most skilful wide player.
- 🤝 His partnership with Alan Shearer at Newcastle (1995-97) — Ginola creating from the left, Shearer finishing — produced the most aesthetically pleasing front-two combination in the Premier League's first decade.
- 🎬 After retiring from football, he pursued an acting career — appearing in the film "The Last Drop" and several television productions — alongside extensive charity work, particularly for heart health after suffering a cardiac arrest in 2016.
Honours
- Ligue 1: Paris Saint-Germain (1994)
- FA Cup: Tottenham Hotspur (1999)
- PFA Players' Player of the Year: 1999 — voted by fellow professionals
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 1999 — the double award while playing for a mid-table club
- Cup Winners' Cup: Paris Saint-Germain (1996)
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