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Pavel Srníček

Years at United: 1991-1998, 2006-2007

Tyneside was stunned by news of Pavel Srníček's tragic passing in December 2015 after the former goalkeeper suffered a heart attack in his native Czech Republic. He was just 47.

Arriving at St. James' Park from hometown side Banik Ostrava in January 1991, Srníček forged a strong connection with the city in two spells with the Magpies and was part of the Entertainers side which drew admiration from across the game in the mid-Nineties.

Bought by Jim Smith, he made his debut under newly-appointed boss Ossie Ardiles and remained on Tyneside under the leadership of Kevin Keegan.

Tall, agile, acrobatic and often unorthodox, Srníček quickly became a popular figure with fans and players alike.

He proudly wore his 'Pavel is a Geordie' T-shirt during the club's promotion celebrations in 1993 - the words to a song which is still chanted on the terraces today.

He was part of the team which made its Premier League bow against Tottenham in August 1993 and was also in goal as the Magpies returned to European competition the following season - beating Royal Antwerp 10-2 on aggregate over two legs in the UEFA Cup.

Memorably, he also played in an unforgettable 5-0 win over Manchester United in October 1996, keeping a clean sheet as the Magpies ran riot against the champions.

After leaving St. James' Park in 1998, he went on to play for clubs including Sheffield Wednesday, Brescia, Portsmouth and West Ham.

Remarkably, in October 2006, injuries to Tim Krul, Shay Given and Steve Harper caused then-boss Glenn Roeder to bring 38-year-old Srníček back to Tyneside for a season-long swansong.

He duly made his 150th league appearance for United - some nine years after the 149th, appearing from the bench for the last few minutes of the 3-1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur in December 2006.

The proud holder of 49 full international caps, he returned to the Czech Republic following his playing days, becoming Sparta Prague's goalkeeping coach in 2012.

A regular visitor to the North East after his retirement from playing, he sadly passed away on 29 December 2015 - just weeks after visiting the region.

He will always be fondly remembered on Tyneside.

Other Hall of Fame inductees:

Shola Ameobi

Peter Beardsley

Frank Brennan

Frank Clark

Andy Cole

Les Ferdinand

Hughie Gallacher

Steve Harper

Joe Harvey

Kevin Keegan

Jimmy Lawrence

Malcolm Macdonald

Bill McCracken

Bobby Mitchell

Jackie Milburn

Bob Moncur

Sir Bobby Robson

Jock Rutherford

Alan Shearer

Colin Veitch

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