SCOTT Green hammered out a warning today to anyone doubting Newcastle's claim to the Premiership title or David Ginola's superstar status.

"They're the best team in the league and Ginola's the best player I've ever come across!" the Burnden full-back said without fear or favour.

Green had first hand experience of the Geordies and their Gallic genius at St James' and is honest enough to admit that, despite Wanderers going close to becoming the first team to take a point there this season, he left Tyneside in awe of one of the game's great talents.

"He really doesn't have a fault," Green confirmed. "His talent was so superior to anything I've come across before.

"It was very difficult for me to mark him but I just had to do my best. He managed to whip a few crosses in and, if Ferdinand had been playing, it might have not have been so close - he's so powerful in the air."

The way Ginola toyed with him at times would have broken the spirit of lesser men but Green still had the determination, the energy and the skill to carve out a scoring chance which, if converted, would have elevated him to hero status.

"I took a bit of criticism for not squaring the ball to Mixu," he says, reflecting on the disappointing end to the weaving run Ginola himself would have been proud of. "But I've seen it on TV and Mixu was well marked.

"I actually think I made the right decision to go for the goal myself but I just hit the ball a bit too hard and it landed on top of the crossbar."

Wanderers left Tyneside without a point but with new heart and a few new admirers who might be prepared to support Green's claim that they will yet beat the drop.

After all, he knows all about fighting back. Down the years the critics have written him off and successive managers have signed players to replace him. Even the odd opponent, like Ginola, has given him such a hard time that you wonder whether he would survive at all.

But he just ignores them all, grits his teeth and gets on with it.

"The biggest thing in my favour," he explains. "is that I just love proving people wrong.

"I've always bounced back and I always will. Whatever division I play in and however many times I get dropped, I'll always do everything I can to get my place back.

"The managers always seem to be looking to strengthen whatever position I'm playing in. But competition doesn't worry me.

"You always get your chance and when they give you the shirt it's up to you to make it your own. If you're not prepared to do that you can forget it but I've always relied on application and determination."

They've been writing Green off for ages. At £50,000 he was a useful acquisition, an attacking utility player Phil Neal used to good effect but, when Bruce Rioch arrived it was suggested he wouldn't live up to the demands of the new manager. Wrong! He played 41 League games in the 92-93 promotion season.

Once Wanderers graduated from the old Third Division to the new First, it was said Green wouldn't make the grade. Wrong again! He made more than 50 appearances in the two seasons, figuring in the two big cup runs and making a successful transition to right back.

But a 'skinning' from Steve McManaman in the Coca-Cola Cup Final signalled the arrival of Gudni Bergsson and that seemed to be it. Green continued to figure in Rioch's promotion squad but there was no way he could make the step up to the Premiership. Or was there?

He started the season as the regular No 2 - tailor-made for the 'wing-back' role in the three centre-back system. But the writing was on the wall again when Roy McFarland and Colin Todd paid Raith £900,000 for Steve McAnespie.

Again, Green was recalled after nine games as sub and marked his return at Chelsea with one of his two Premiership goals.

Now he's confident enough to feel he can add to that tally. "I've had quite a few chances and could have done better. I reckon I could be on six or seven by now," he says.

Green isn't complaining, though. He's just happy to be playing in the Premiership. "The league's full of great players and it's a pleasure for someone like me, who hasn't played in the Premier League before, to be playing against them.

"They might be good but, whoever they are, I'll do my damnedest to stop them."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.