Steve McClaren has challenged new signing Florian Thauvin to establish himself as a Geordie hero after a glittering start to his career on Tyneside.
The 22-year-old winger, a £13 million summer signing from Marseille, served up a tantalising taste of what might be to come when he thrashed League Two Northampton in Tuesday night's 4-1 Capital One Cup second round victory.
Thauvin could make his first Premier League start against Arsenal at St. James' Park on Saturday, when his task will be significantly more difficult. But head coach McClaren is confident he has the ability to excite the club's fans in the same way as some of the club's past greats.
He said: "The most important thing is to have a winning team. You progress from a team that competes to one that wins, and wins regularly. After that, you win trophies and you get heroes.
"Heroes only come when you get success. We're trying to create a team which can provide that. We're in the very early stages of that and I'm still learning about my best players and best system.
"But I want to sit down and watch the team play good football and I want individuals to excite me and get me out of my seat. Florian can be one of them."
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had been credited with an interest in France Under-21 international Thauvin before Newcastle made their decisive move, and McClaren admits he understands why his opposite number might have been looking at him.
He said: "Yes, most definitely. He has played at every level for France [up to Under-21s]. He has got that pedigree.
"He has potential -- but then so do a lot of players."
McClaren will go head-to-head with Wenger, a manger he has held in high regard since his days working alongside Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, hoping to get one over on him, but admitting the Frenchman's team is one he would pay to watch.
The 54-year-old said: "I've always said it's one team where I would pay for a box to go and watch them. On their day, they're up there with the Barcelonas in terms of how they play the game and the football that they play."