Central defender Nicos Dabizas signed from Olympiakos in March 1998, and became the first Greek to play in an English FA Cup Final two months later, then repeated the deed in 1999.

Dabizas began his career with Greek Second Division club Pontii Verias, and joined Olympiakos in 1994, where he won a Greek Championship medal in 1997.

Kenny Dalglish paid £1.3m to bring him to Newcastle, where the fans immediately took to his flamboyant style. The 2000/01 season was an injury ravaged one for the popular Greek after a serious knee problem in only the second game of the season meant months of rehabilitation back in his homeland and an eight month wait before he was able to play first team football again.

With two goals in the opening four matches of the 2001/02 Premiership season, he became Newcastle's best ever goal scoring centre-back overtaking Philippe Albert's tally of 12.