David Ginola

French footballer and winger who became a Premier League icon at Newcastle United and Tottenham, winning PFA Player of the Year in 1999.

David Ginola-Cézé was born on 25 January 1967 in Gassin, in the Var department of southern France, and began his professional career with Toulon in 1985 as an 18-year-old. He progressed through Racing Paris and Brest before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 1992, where his combination of pace, flair, and eye-catching dribbling on the left wing made him one of Ligue 1's most exciting attacking players. Ginola moved to England in 1995, joining Newcastle United, where his stylish, flamboyant wing play made him an instant fan favourite and helped the club challenge for the Premier League title. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 1997, and it was there that he produced the finest form of his career, culminating in the 1998-99 season when he was named both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year — a rare individual double. Renowned as much for his glamorous image as his footballing ability, Ginola became one of the most recognisable faces in the Premier League during the late 1990s, later parlaying his profile into modelling and acting work alongside his football career, including a long-running shampoo advertising campaign. He earned 17 caps for France, though a costly error in a decisive 1993 World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria — which contributed to France failing to reach the following year's tournament — strained his relationship with the French football establishment for years afterward. Ginola went on to play for Aston Villa and Everton before retiring in 2002. After football, he built a prominent media career as a pundit and later stood, unsuccessfully, in a widely publicised 2015 bid for the presidency of FIFA, positioning himself as a reform candidate against the sport's governing establishment.

Skillful left winger with pace, dribbling ability and crossing

Transformed perception of French flair players in English football

• PFA Player of Year 1999
• FWA Player of Year 1999
• Coupe de France 1993
• Coupe de la Ligue 1995
• UEFA Cup 1997

Club Career

Club	Period	Apps	Goals
Toulon	1985–1988	82	4
Racing Paris	1988–1990	61	8
Brest	1990–1992	50	14
Paris Saint-Germain	1992–1995	115	33
Newcastle United	1995–1997	58	6
Tottenham Hotspur	1997–2000	100	13
Aston Villa	2000–2002	32	3
Everton	2002–2002	5	0
France	—	17	3