David Ginola has opened up about his departure from Newcastle United, revealing that he was forced to leave the club in 1997, despite his initial reluctance to do so. The French winger, who joined Newcastle from Paris Saint-Germain in 1995, had been part of Kevin Keegan’s exciting “Entertainers” squad, a period that he describes as one of the happiest of his career. However, his time at St James’ Park took a dramatic turn when Keegan resigned and was replaced by Kenny Dalglish.
Ginola admitted that the managerial change came as a shock and disrupted the positive atmosphere he had experienced under Keegan. “I didn’t want to leave the club, but when Kenny Dalglish took over from Kevin it was a shock, and it just wasn’t the same anymore,” he recalled in an interview for his new book, *The Entertainers*. The Frenchman’s relationship with Dalglish quickly soured, and he found himself at odds with the new manager, who seemed intent on clearing out the foreign players that Keegan had signed. “I argued with Kenny, and he didn’t play me much after that,” Ginola explained. His frustration grew, and he openly admitted that if things didn’t change, he would have to leave the club.
The situation came to a head when Ginola made his feelings public in the media. “I said something in the newspapers that if things don’t change, I will have to leave,” Ginola recalled. The next day, a confrontation occurred between him and Dalglish. The manager chastised him for airing his grievances in the press, leading to a heated exchange. “He told me I couldn’t go to the newspapers and say these things,” Ginola continued. “I said, ‘You treat me like I’m having an affair with your wife.’” The row underscored the breakdown in their relationship, and soon after, Ginola’s exit from Newcastle was sealed.
Reflecting on his time under Keegan, Ginola fondly remembers the atmosphere at Newcastle, both in training and on match days. “Under Kevin, it was such a pleasure every day in training and every Saturday away and at St James’ Park, where the atmosphere was magnificent,” Ginola said. He added that those were the days he missed the most and hoped one day they would return. Unfortunately, those days were behind him, as Dalglish’s management style and tactics failed to match the excitement and success Newcastle had enjoyed under Keegan.
In the wake of this fallout, Ginola joined Tottenham Hotspur in July 1997. Although his move to Spurs was not something he initially desired, he soon became one of the Premier League’s most exciting players. Ginola enjoyed a successful spell at Spurs, winning the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year awards in 1999, while also helping the club win the League Cup that season. Despite the success, Ginola’s departure from Newcastle remained a painful chapter in his career, one that he felt was forced upon him rather than being a decision of his own making.
Interestingly, Ginola also shared that in 1995, just before signing for Newcastle, he had been offered the chance to join Arsenal, a move he would have considered had circumstances been different. “Arsenal were one of the biggest clubs in the country,” Ginola reflected, but he had already committed to Newcastle after speaking with their assistant manager, Terry McDermott. “When I called my dad and said, ‘I’m signing for Newcastle and working with Kevin Keegan,’ he was happy,” Ginola said, showing that the move was driven by a combination of loyalty and ambition to play under a manager he admired.
Ginola’s story highlights the often unpredictable nature of football transfers and managerial changes, as well as the emotional toll it can take on players when they find themselves caught between conflicting forces within a club. His move to Tottenham, though initially reluctant, proved to be a successful chapter in his career, helping cement his place as one of the Premier League’s most charismatic and skillful players.
