VIDEO – Cheick Tiote’s greatest moments at NUFC – a tribute to a true footballing warrior

On Monday we learned some truly devastating news as former NUFC midfielder Cheick Tiote tragically passed away at the age of 30, following a heart attack whilst training for his new club in China.

The news has not only left the whole of Newcastle United in mourning, but sent shockwaves through the entire footballing world, with tributes flying in from across the globe from all who knew him.

Cheick was a warrior on the field and a obsessional trainer off it, but above all else a fun loving man who was clearly adored by so many of his former teammates.

Here we pay tribute to Tiote, celebrating his greatest moments at Newcastle United:

 

His monstrous debut

Tiote signed from FC Twente for £3.5m in August 2010 and a month later made his Newcastle United debut in a 1-0 win at Goodison park. Upon signing I knew next to nothing about the Ivorian midfielder, but 90 minutes after watching him for the first time, I was sure we’d picked up a gem of a player.

The game may be remembered for Hatem Ben Arfa’s long range winner, but Tiote’s outstanding debut display was equally impressive.

He single handedly bossed the midfield that day, recovering the ball on endless occasions, winning his battles and if I remember rightly, he did not misplace a single pass all game. Without doubt one of the most impressive all-round defensive-midfield performances of the last decade at NUFC.

 

The goal that will go down in history

His last minute wonder goal to complete the 4-4 comeback from 4-0 down against Arsenal was single handedly the best moment I’ve every experienced at SJP.

It was Tiote’s one and only goal at the club over his six and a half year stay, but one that will go down in Premier League history:

Manchester United masterclass

January 2012. Cheick Tiote’s superb season had seen him linked with a big money moves to the Chelsea and Manchester United.

That month, he then produced one of his greatest performances in black and white, helping Newcastle to a 3-0 win over the very team tracking him – Manchester United.

Wayne Rooney didn’t get a kick:

Cheick Tiote & Yohan Cabaye – a match made in heaven

Our 5th place finish in 2011/12 was a special season. The class of Coloccini at the back, the match winning ability of Hatem Ben Arfa and the goal machines that were Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse were highlights, but the midfield duo of Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye was perhaps our biggest asset.

They were a match made in heaven and were quite possibly the best central midfield partnership in the Premier League that season.

 

THAT disallowed goal

It seems when Tiote scored, he only did wonder goals!

This should’ve been the equaliser in a game we went on to lose 2-0 at home to Manuel Pellegrini’s Manchester City. I’ve never went so delirious after a goal that ended up being chalked off!

 

His competitive edge and will to win

So many of his tributes make reference to what a formidable opponent and fierce competitor he was.

These clips show just how much it meant to him..

 

Putting everything on the line for his team

Following his death, Steve McClaren desribed Tiote as the ‘toughest player’ he had ever seen.

This footage highlights this quite perfectly – he’d do whatever it took to win that ball back:

Tiote’s time for the fans

This clip shows Tiote being presented with an award for Player of the Year by ‘Toon Army Dallas’, after the Ivory Coast defeated El Salvador 2-1 in a pre-World Cup friendly in Frisco, Texas.

Tiote was said to be shy off the pitch, but this precious footage shows how he always had time for his adoring Newcastle fans:

Rest in peace, Cheick. Taken before your time, but remembered with fond memories by us all here at NUFC.

(Fancy writing for us? Send any articles/ideas over to us at [email protected] & we’ll get back to you!)

About Olly Hawkins

As a Junior Magpie since birth and season ticket holder, I eat, sleep and breathe all things NUFC! Here at the blog, I aim to bring you news, views, match reports and transfer exclusives as and when I get them.

164 thoughts on “VIDEO – Cheick Tiote’s greatest moments at NUFC – a tribute to a true footballing warrior

  1. I know Keepers are a boring subject, but I think there is now a massive premium placed on ‘Sweeper Keepers”. That’s why Pickford went for so much and why De Gea is supposedly worth 60 mil. It is the Pep and Neuer effect.

    The valuations are out of hand but I am not really seeing anybody we would desperately want move clubs. We have to accept that we are not looking at the same players as Man U and Man City etc so anybody moving there doesn’t count (anybody at Monaco seems to have an automatic valuation of 40 mil + for example).

    Are we that upset if we miss out on McGuire or Tom Ince?

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  2. I must have missed this one but the best manager in the PL, “Ugly” John Carver was sacked in February by a Cyprus team. Can this finally put to bed my long running argument with Troy Stavers that the pickled walnut with hair is shyte and should never have been appointed even caretaker at NUFC.

    Troy’s picks for Manager of NUFC were Pards (“average, and we could do no better”), Ugly John (was SBRs coach) and Lee “Kilmarnock or bust” Clark.

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  3. The Ugly John Files:

    June 2016: hired by Nicos Dabizas at Omonia in the Cyprus League (no, I had never hear of them either). The Pickled Walnut with Hair said “it will give me an opportunity to work on my tan, and I don’t believe those rumours that too much sun causes wrinkles”.

    February 2017: fired after falling 12 points behind the leaders in a meaningless league and after a “humiliating” exit from the Cyprus Cup after the game had to be abandoned because fans were throwing firecrackers and flares onto the pitch in opposition to Carver being manager (this bit is true, I got it from a Cyprus paper, same that Dabizas hired him, Eric.).

    YCMIU

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  4. And Pards.

    Think Clark who is currently in League 1 might be ruled out after THAT t-shirt 🙂

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  5. Since there hasn’t been any new NUFC news for days I will continue with my trip down memory lane with updates of that former poster who ran off with his tail between his legs because of his 100% incorrect prediction record.

    Lee Clark is now manager of League One Bury and finished 19th in a 24 team League.

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  6. Clark was given the Bury job after he led the mighty Kilmarnock from 2nd bottom in the SPL to, ermmm, 3rd bottom when he left.

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  7. Managerless Sunderland’s first pre-season game is on July 7 against Bury managed by former player Lee “SMBs” Clark.

    YCMIU

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  8. Big spends from Everton in the window yesterday, and as Stu said earlier – the Pickford fee suggests how difficult we are going to find this window.
    Ashley will not want to shell out money like that for our new recruits – and so I can well imagine the priority at SJP is being the potential Chinese investment to fruition.

    I know it’s early days still, but I’m a little concerned at the lack of concrete targets and where we seem to be at the moment. Mainly because Rafa seems to want to make big changes to the squad.
    To have only signed a loanee so far does worry me a bit.
    I would have hoped to have had at least 2 others in by now as well.

    If Rafa is wanting around 11 new players in, then I would hope to see some real progress next week, coz at the moment there is little happening either in or out.

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  9. Jabba sends in Barnes into SJP to over see transfers things have to be run by him before they can make a move,this does not look good to me,whats ganning on???

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  10. Barnes is at SJP to sort out issues with HMRC and potential investors. Nothing football related. He’s a Sports Direct man and like Ashley knows nowt about football.

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