Hatem Ben Arfa
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How Newcastle United curried favour with Senegalese striker Papisse Demba Cisse
The Senegal striker was part of a Freiburg side who had won only five matches – and lost 11 – when he made his £9million move to Tyneside in January. But Cissé has shown his worth with 10 goals in eight starts .
Countless other footballers have failed to settle so quickly after making a similar switch, and Cissé has been grateful for the presence of his Senegal team-mate, Demba Ba, at the club and for the attention to detail of the staff – including the introduction of curried goat to the club canteen.
“It was a Senegalese dish called Yassa, which I love,” said Cissé. “I can’t cook it, but the chef at the club, Liz, did a really great job. It was fantastic. It is another example of how the club has made me feel so welcome and I appreciated it very much.
“I spoke to Demba Ba before I came here and he told me how good it was. I saw them play and I thought, yes. It has been really easy to fit in. Everyone has helped me, especially the manager. The other coaches and the players and directors have all made me feel very welcome and I felt at home straight away. It has not been difficult to settle in and be happy. It makes me happier when I score lots of goals and so far I have done.”
Homeliness might not be a trait readily associated with a club whose owner has been pilloried for breaking with almost 120 years of custom by renaming their home ground from St James’ Park to the Sports Direct Arena. But clearly Cissé, whose shirt bears the hallowed No 9, knows a bit about Newcastle tradition.
“I know that the No9 shirt is a huge thing in Newcastle, a monumental honour for me,” he said. “Alan Shearer has set the bar very high and I have to try and follow the path that he has set down.
“I need to be aware of the past and what the shirt means. I am doing all I can to be worthy. Alan Shearer is the example I have to try and follow.”
Geordies may swell with pride at Cissé’s humility. He added: “The No9 shirt was made great by Alan Shearer and I am not trying to prove I am as good as him, but to live up to what the shirt means. The only way I can do that is by scoring goals and playing well and so far it has gone better than I could have imagined.”
As it has for the whole team. Hatem Ben Arfa’s remarkable 60-yard dash to open the scoring against Bolton on Monday – “an incredible goal,” says Cissé, “worthy of Messi himself” – drew Newcastle level on points with Tottenham in fourth place.
Cissé added the gloss with a tap-in for the second. “Everyone is trying to stay calm,” he said. “Of course it would be fantastic for this club to be in the Champions League. We don’t really want to talk about it as we have to take everything match by match, but, of course, it is difficult not to think about it. We are now so close. It is within touching distance and yet still there are five games to go.”
The Senegal striker was part of a Freiburg side who had won only five matches – and lost 11 – when he made his £9million move to Tyneside in January. But Cissé has shown his worth with 10 goals in eight starts .
Countless other footballers have failed to settle so quickly after making a similar switch, and Cissé has been grateful for the presence of his Senegal team-mate, Demba Ba, at the club and for the attention to detail of the staff – including the introduction of curried goat to the club canteen.
“It was a Senegalese dish called Yassa, which I love,” said Cissé. “I can’t cook it, but the chef at the club, Liz, did a really great job. It was fantastic. It is another example of how the club has made me feel so welcome and I appreciated it very much.
“I spoke to Demba Ba before I came here and he told me how good it was. I saw them play and I thought, yes. It has been really easy to fit in. Everyone has helped me, especially the manager. The other coaches and the players and directors have all made me feel very welcome and I felt at home straight away. It has not been difficult to settle in and be happy. It makes me happier when I score lots of goals and so far I have done.”
Homeliness might not be a trait readily associated with a club whose owner has been pilloried for breaking with almost 120 years of custom by renaming their home ground from St James’ Park to the Sports Direct Arena. But clearly Cissé, whose shirt bears the hallowed No 9, knows a bit about Newcastle tradition.
“I know that the No9 shirt is a huge thing in Newcastle, a monumental honour for me,” he said. “Alan Shearer has set the bar very high and I have to try and follow the path that he has set down.
“I need to be aware of the past and what the shirt means. I am doing all I can to be worthy. Alan Shearer is the example I have to try and follow.”
Geordies may swell with pride at Cissé’s humility. He added: “The No9 shirt was made great by Alan Shearer and I am not trying to prove I am as good as him, but to live up to what the shirt means. The only way I can do that is by scoring goals and playing well and so far it has gone better than I could have imagined.”
As it has for the whole team. Hatem Ben Arfa’s remarkable 60-yard dash to open the scoring against Bolton on Monday – “an incredible goal,” says Cissé, “worthy of Messi himself” – drew Newcastle level on points with Tottenham in fourth place.
Cissé added the gloss with a tap-in for the second. “Everyone is trying to stay calm,” he said. “Of course it would be fantastic for this club to be in the Champions League. We don’t really want to talk about it as we have to take everything match by match, but, of course, it is difficult not to think about it. We are now so close. It is within touching distance and yet still there are five games to go.”
