Man City winger Jeremy Doku during the match against Newcastle. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Newcastle have had a number of cult heroes over the years, including Demba Ba, Papis Cissé and Allan Saint-Maximin. Hatem Ben Arfa is also included in this list, having wowed the St James’ Park crowd with his impressive dribbling skills many times during his four years on Tyneside.
Ben Arfa, who retired in 2022 after playing for Lille in his native Ligue 1, is well known for being a great dribbler and is still highly regarded by players of a similar style currently active in the Premier League.
Jeremy Dok: “Ben Arfa is a better dribbler than Cristiano Ronaldo”
Ben Arfa is one of the best dribblers in the history of football, according to Man City winger Jeremy Doku (via Geordie Boot Boys). Speaking on K+ Sports, the Belgium international asserted that the former Newcastle player is better at dribbling than him, as well as the likes of Raheem Sterling, Sadio Mane, Adama Traore and even Cristiano Ronaldo. However, when asked to choose between the two, he chose Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.
In recent years, Newcastle have had a number of players who have stood out for their dribbling ability. Ben Arfa, Saint-Maximin and David Ginola are the names that come to mind, but the club will also hope that the likes of Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga, who were recently confirmed to have release clauses in their contracts, could also fall into this category, although both players have had below-average performances so far this season.
Newcastle supporters will look back on Ben Arfa’s time at the club with great fondness, but it is clear that he made a lasting impression on multiple fan bases.
