FIVE forgotten players who played for both Newcastle and Crystal Palace

By Alfie Adams

Newcastle United visit Selhurst Park tonight, which for Newcastle, is a huge game in their battle for European football.

Both teams are coming into this game in red-hot form. Of course, Crystal Palace gained a shock win at Anfield and then demolished the Hammers 5-2 at Selhurst Park, last weekend. Newcastle meanwhile are yet to lose in the league since the 11th of March, most recently annihilating Spurs 4-0 on home soil.

Here at Sportsbyte, we are taking a look at five forgotten players who have played for both teams.

1. Yohan Cabaye

Cabaye started his career at Lille where he spent the next seven years of his career before being picked up by the Magpies in the summer of 2011 for about £4.3M.

Lining up in midfield alongside Cheick Tiote, the Frenchman became a key cog in the Newcastle side which finished an impressive fifth, in the 2011/12 season.

Following his impressive stint on Tyneside, the midfielder went on to join French giants PSG.

Spending only one season in the French capital, Cabaye then joined Crystal Palace for £12M, playing 96 times for the Eagles.

2. Andros Townsend

Joining the Magpies from Spurs, in January 2016 for a fee of £13.5M, Townsend would play 13 games for Newcastle, scoring four goals including one against his future club, Crystal Palace.

Following, Newcastle’s relegation to the Championship the winger joined the Eagles for £13.4M, after only six months on Tyneside.

The England international would become a key figure in South London playing 168 times, scoring 13 goals before moving away from the club, in the summer of 2021.

3. Dwight Gayle

In January 2013, Gayle signed for the Eagles for a sum in the region of £4.5M, where he was most famously known for derailing Liverpool’s title hopes with a brace at Selhurst Park.

Gayle would later sign for Championship side Newcastle in 2016, where he played a pivotal role in securing promotion back to the top flight, scoring 23 goals in 32 appearances.

Following his heroic Championship antics, Gayle’s career on Tyneside would slowly fizzle out, going out on loan to West Brom and later signing permanently for Stoke City.

4. Patrick Van Aanholt

In his time at Chelsea, Van Aanholt he had a very short and brief loan spell at the Magpies where he played only 7 games, in Newcastle’s promotion back to the top flight under Chris Houghton.

Van Aanholt would later play for Newcastle’s bitter rivals Sunderland in a three-year spell, before joining the Eagles in the summer of 2017.

The Dutchman would go on to play a crucial role in retaining Crystal Palace’s top flight status in the 2019/2020 season.

5. Darren Ambrose

Ambrose first signed for Newcastle in the summer transfer window in 2003 from a freshly-relegated Ipswich Town. He would go on to play for the club 37 times, scoring 5 times.

Later in his career, he would feature for Crystal Palace 110 times, scoring 29 times; becoming a firm fan favourite amongst the Palace faithful.

The now-retired Englishman is now known for appearing on talkSPORT, alongside the likes of Gabriel Agbonlahor and Darren Bent.

Can you think of any other players who have starred for both clubs? Let us know at @Sports_Byte