When Ben Arfa scored two goals of a lifetime in 92 days at Newcastle

While Newcastle United fans had to endure a lot during the Mike Ashley era, they also got to see Hatem Ben Arfa score pretty much the exact same wonderful goal twice in the space of three months.

Back in April 2018, Hatem Ben Arfa posted a cheery photo to his Instagram feed. Dressed in Adidas t-shirt and joggers and with two thumbs up, the French winger sat behind a cake decorated with a single candle.

The special occasion? It had been exactly one year since his last appearance for Paris Saint-Germain.

It was an ironic cake.

This has been the story of Ben Arfa’s career: extraordinary highs followed by prolonged lows (sometimes with cake), the player unable to maintain a long-term relationship with his various clubs and managers.

Wondergoals and adoration at Newcastle were followed by a loan at Hull City where the Frenchman went AWOL. After that, a career-best season at Nice was followed by exile and confusion at PSG.

What happens next is anyone’s guess. Ben Arfa is now 34 and is back in France with Bordeaux after a short spell with Real Valladolid.

Questions over his attitude continue to cast a shadow over his ability.

But if anyone needed reminding of Ben Arfa’s talents, one need only remember a three-month period in early 2012 when the Frenchman established himself as one of the world’s greatest scorers of wondergoals.

The 2011-12 season was a bad one for Blackburn Rovers. Not content with embarrassing their fans with chicken adverts, the club also kept Steve Kean in charge for the entire season, resulting in Premier League relegation.

For 70 minutes of their FA Cup third-round tie against Newcastle, however, the Lancashire club looked like progressing.

A scrappy David Goodwillie goal had given Rovers the lead after 35