The former Anderlecht, Roda, FC Twente, Newcastle United, Beijing Enterprises and Ivory Coast midfielder tragically passed away this week.
Cheick Tiote celebrates his last-minute equaliser against Arsenal
Following a request made on our YouTube channel to cover the best XI players to play alongside Cheick Tiote after his tragic passing yesterday, we take a look at some of the most gifted players to have taken to the field alongside the Ivorian. Tiote was a tough-tackling midfield player who had a wicked left foot and scored some memorable long-range strikes in the black and white of Newcastle, particularly his late equaliser in the 4-4 draw against Arsenal.
A strong, physical and imposing presence in midfield, Tiote had a couple of excellent seasons with Newcastle United, having joined the Magpies from Dutch side FC Twente. News that the 30-year-old had collapsed in training and later died broke on June 5th. Our thoughts are with Tiote’s family and friends.
Our best XI to play with Tiote includes only those he played alongside at club level, so Ivory Coast teammates such as Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba miss out.
Tim Krul
Newcastle United goalkeeper Tim Krul
Between the sticks is Tim Krul. Still under contract at Newcastle United, the Dutch international is now in his 12th year as a Newcastle player, but spent last season out on-loan at Ajax and AZ. Krul’s best years at Newcastle coincided with Tiote’s best years for the Magpies, making him the obvious choice in goal in this XI.
Mathieu Debuchy
Mathieu Debuchy is probably the best right-back Cheick Tiote played with at club level. The Arsenal full-back isn’t getting much game time now, but he was a regular at St James’ Park, before his £12 million move to the Gunners. Capped 27 times by France, Debuchy spent the first decade of his career with Lille.
Fabricio Coloccini
Making it a hat-trick of former Newcastle teammates to kick-off this XI is Fabricio Coloccini. The Argentine centre-back had a few dodgy moments for the Magpies following his £10.3 million move from Deportivo La Coruna, but over the course of his eight year stay in the north east, he was an important player. An Olympic Gold medallist with Argentina, Coloccini won 39 caps for his country.
Vincent Kompany
Cheick Tiote and Vincent Kompany were teammates at Anderlecht
Cheick Tiote and Vincent Kompany played together very briefly at Anderlecht in Belgium, where both players began their professional careers. Whilst Kompany, who is one year Tiote’s senior, made 103 appearances for the club before heading to Hamburg, Tiote made only 6. Kompany went on to join Manchester City, becoming club captain and winning two Premier League titles, two League Cups and one FA Cup.
Davide Santon
A full-back capable of playing on either side of defence, the left side now appears to be his strongest. Davide Santon spent four years at Newcastle United. Although not particularly impressive for the Magpies, Santon was a first team regular and eventually left the club to return to Inter Milan. He has won 8 caps for Italy, two Serie A titles and a Champions League.
Lucas Biglia
Another player Tiote played alongside at Anderlecht, Lucas Biglia spent seven years with the Belgian giants, where he won four league titles. A classy and intelligent defensive midfielder, Biglia has won 48 caps for Argentina, and currently plays for Lazio in Serie A. He started in every knockout game of the 2014 World Cup including the final in which Argentina were beaten by Germany 1-0.
Yohan Cabaye
Former Newcastle man Yohan Cabaye on France duty
Like Biglia, Yohan Cabaye is also a classy footballer with an eye for a pass. Not quite as good at doing the dirty work but an impressive player nonetheless, Cabaye was excellent in his three years at St James’ Park, and Newcastle fans looked on in disbelief as the Frenchman joined Crystal Palace in 2015. The former PSG man has won the same number of caps as Biglia, 48.
Georginio Wijnaldum
On the left is Georginion Wijnaldum, a man who spent just one season at Newcastle United alongside Cheick Tiote. Wijnaldum divided opinion in the north east due to his inconsistency and tendency to go missing, but he certainly provided some moments of joy and inspiration in an otherwise depressing campaign, scoring 11 goals, and he also made the club quite a bit of money when Liverpool handed over £25 million for his services.
Hatem Ben Arfa
On the opposite flank is another player who divided opinion in Newcastle, although he is still widely adored for his performances during the 2011-12 campaign in which he was afforded much freedom and helped the Magpies to a remarkable fifth placed finish in the Premier League. Ben Arfa is the antithesis of a workhorse though, and has attitude has often been called into question. One thing you can’t doubt though is his ability with the ball at his feet.
Demba Ba
Former Newcastle quartet Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Coloccini and Ba
The first centre-forward in this team is a man who was close to Cheick Tiote, and one of the first people to break the news of his passing. Demba Ba was a teammate of Tiote’s at Newcastle United, where the forward scored 29 goals in 54 games. Prolific wherever he has been throughout his career, Ba recently recovered from a horrific leg fracture which medics feared could have ended his career.
Loic Remy
Similar to Demba Ba, Loic Remy had a brief but prolific spell alongside Cheick Tiote at Newcastle United. The French international spent a season on-loan at Newcastle from Queens Park Rangers, scoring 14 goals in 26 games to help the Magpies finish 10th. Currently under contract at Chelsea, Remy too has had injury troubles of late, and was loaned out to Crystal Palace where he played just 5 games last season.
Cheick Tiote has tragically died at the age of just 30
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