Former Newcastle United star scores on his return to football after suffering with career-threatening issue

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Newcastle United have had their fair share of heroes in the past.

Fans will look back on certain players and pick one defining moment of their Newcastle United career. Jonas Gutierrez will always be remembered for his iconic goal after his return to football following a cancer diagnosis.

Things did not end well on Tyneside for the Argentine with Mike Ashley confirming his release over the phone – but he still follows the club with good intentions.

Newcastle fans paid tribute to Gutierrez after announcing his retirement in 2021 after a fantastic 20-year professional career. Former Toon maverick Allan Saint-Maximin was compared to Guitierrez by Ryan Taylor because of his unpredictability.

The 2019/20 season was widely unforgettable for Newcastle. Steve Bruce was in charge, leading the Magpies to mid-table mediocrity in the Premier League. Everything was very stagnant at the time before the historic takeover in 2021.

That season, a Newcastle loanee failed to make an impact in the side but has done something remarkable after suffering a serious career-threatening injury.

Nabil Bentaleb scores for Lille in return to football

Former Newcastle midfielder Nabil Bentaleb’s time on Tyneside was short-lived and uninspired. It was not completely his fault, however, as the football being played at the time did not allow him to fully showcase his abilities on the pitch.

Schalke fans were saddened by Bentaleb’s exit when he joined Newcastle in January 2021. Sadly, his time at the club was not one fans will look back on with fond memories.

Bentaleb struggled in his Newcastle debut, but it was evident that Newcastle had a transfer plan after signing him and Danny Rose on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

After leaving Newcastle, Bentaleb joined Angers and then signed for LOSC Lille before suffering a cardiac arrest in June 2024. Bentaleb was told that his career may be over due to the issue but he silenced any doubters on Sunday by scoring in his first game back.

The 30-year-old scored just four minutes after coming off the bench as Lille beat Renned 2-0 in Ligue 1. Lille boss Bruno Genesio claimed the return was “worthy of a film.” and insisted that he ‘deserved’ his goal.

Nabil Bentaleb an example of how far Newcastle’s midfield has come

Newcastle fans will undoubtedly be thrilled to see one of their former players show so much determination and heroism to come back from a major issue and score. It allows fans to reminisce about the West Ham game in 2015 where Gutierrez confirmed Newcastle’s survival on the final day of the season.

Since Bentaleb’s exit and the takeover in October 2021, Newcastle have completely overhauled the midfielder by signing top-class players like Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali.

Toon boss Eddie Howe has also worked his magic on Joelinton who now operates in midfield after originally signing as a striker.

Even players like Sean Longstaff have shown improvement under Howe after initially looking like a lost cause when managed by Bruce. Bentaleb can be used as an example of what Newcastle had before the takeover compared to now.

A newfound ability to spend has taken Newcastle’s midfield to the next level, and many fans from other clubs in the Premier League will recognise the Magpies midfield as one of the best in the top-flight.