Newcastle United have signed ‘one of Europe’s top strikers’ in Demba Ba – Habib Beye

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Newcastle United have signed “one of Europe’s top strikers” in Demba Ba according to former player Habib Beye.

The striker signed from West Ham United following their relegation and joins Sylvain Marveaux and Yohan Cabaye as the north east club’s new-look side being formed by manager Alan Pardew.

A fellow Senegal international, Beye thinks the 26-year-old forward will be instant success at St James Park because of his prolific goal scoring abilities and excellent work ethic.

“The Newcastle fans will love and appreciate Demba,” he said to the Evening Chronicle.

“I have spoken to him and gave him my best wishes; I knew straight away that Newcastle United was the club for him.

“And I think that the fans will take to him straight away at St James’ Park because he is a player who works so hard and gets the goals as well.”

Beye, an Aston Villa player, followed Ba during his time at Hoffenheim and is confident he will prove a success at his new club.

“For me Demba was one of the top three or four strikers in the Bundesliga not so long ago and being in one of the top leagues on the continent makes him, in my eyes, one of the best strikers in Europe on his day. I think it will be great for him in Newcastle,” he continued.

“If he enjoys his time at the club as much as I enjoyed my two-and-a-half years then he hasn’t gone too far wrong in my opinion.

“If things had have been different he’s the type of player that I would love to have played alongside in a black-and-white shirt.”

Since leaving the north east for Villa Park in the aftermath of Newcastle’s relegation, Beye has been unable to break into the first team under Martin O’Neill and Gerard Houllier.

The 33-year-old defender, who can be deployed at right-back or centre-back, will be looking to find happy days at the club under new manager Alex McLeish.