Today marks five years since the passing of former Newcastle United midfielder Cheick Tiote.
Adored on Tyneside by the Toon Army, Tiote passed away in 2017 after he collapsed during a training session while playing for Chinese side Beijing Enterprises.
The Ivorian scored the famous equaliser in the Premier League's greatest ever comeback, which saw Newcastle come from 4-0 down at home against Arsenal to draw 4-4.
Tiote's strike is one of the most storied goals in Newcastle United's history. A free-kick into the box from Joey Barton was cleared away by Arsenal late on in the contest, with the Gunners believing they'd cleared their lines.
However, Tiote was waiting on the end of the clearance, striking a perfect first time volley from the edge of the box past Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Beloved by fans, team mates, coaches and opponents, ChronicleLive takes a look back at how fondly Tiote is remembered by those who knew him best.
Alan Pardew
Alan Pardew managed Tiote between 2010-2014 which saw the Ivorian play his best football at Newcastle. It was Pardew who was in the dugout for the 4-4 draw, which saw Newcastle nearly snatch all three points late on through captain Kevin Nolan.
Nolan dragged his shot just wide, something which Pardew reflects upon as a positive when looking back at the dramatic affair.
"Kevin Nolan could have won it for us at the end," Pardew told ChronicleLive about that famous 4-4 draw in 2011.
"It would have been the best Premier League comeback ever but, in a way, I’m now glad he didn’t because the goal highlighted Cheick and his personality to a tee.
"I can still see him wheeling away all aggressive before he broke into that enormous smile, which illuminated the whole stadium and became an iconic moment in Newcastle's recent history."
Demba Ba
A player who played alongside Tiote in his prime, former Newcastle forward Demba Ba recently revealed a funny story involving the Ivorian and former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure.
“We were playing together for Newcastle at Manchester City,” Ba told the i.
READ MORE: Newcastle United's next transfer priorities if Sven Botman and Hugo Ekitike are signed
“We were about halfway through the first half and Yaya Toure ran past me, stopped and looked at me and said: ‘Demba, speak with Cheick!’ Yaya is a beast himself but Cheick was giving him a really hard time on the field that day.
“Yaya said: ‘We’re playing the African Cup in a couple of weeks together, trying to win the trophy together and he’s trying to kill me!’ I thought ‘Yeah, that’s Cheick’. He was energy and you couldn’t do anything about it.”
Mike Williamson
As a defensive midfielder, Tiote was known for being particularly tough on the pitch. Alongside Yohan Cabaye, Newcastle possessed a midfield pairing that had it all.
Cabaye provided the glitz and maestro passing range while Tiote did the dirty work, crunching into challenges and winning back the ball in the middle of the park.
Former Newcastle defender Mike Williamson recalls Tiote's tenacious spirit well.
"He was a warrior and the derbies, the battles he had with Lee Cattermole, stand out for me," Williamson told ChronicleLive.
"If there was one player you didn't want missing for a derby game, it was Cheick because you knew when he was going out on that pitch, he was just going to fight and battle.
"He really did energise and invigorate. When the games were going down or it was a little bit stale or it was a bit of a checkmate, one tackle, one bit of intensity from him, would light the game up.
"We always knew Cheick could go over the top every now and then, but you take that because the character he brought to the team was incredible."
Papiss Cisse
One former team mate who recalls Cisse perhaps the fondest was ex-Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse.
"Cheicky was my brother, my best friend, my man. I think my power came from this guy," Cisse previously told ChronicleLive.
"I was a strong guy before I met him but he brought a lot of things to my life and my career. This guy helped me a lot.
"When I saw this guy, what he was doing, I would say, 'Bro, calm down!' He would say, 'No, Papiss, this a man's game. You have to be strong. Sometimes, you have to be crazy'.
"I miss him. I just always pray for him to be in a good place and his family to be in a safe place as well in this world. Even now, speaking about it makes me...it's very hard."
Steve McClaren
Former Newcastle boss Steve McClaren managed Tiote twice during his career. While they overlapped during McClaren's infamous 10 month spell on Tyneside, the pair initially worked together during their time at FC Twente together, where Newcastle signed Tiote from.
"At Newcastle if [Papiss] Cisse and Cheick were smiling I knew the world was ok," McClaren told BBC Sport.
"He was a ferocious competitor on the field but had a beautiful smile off it. He was the kind of player that everyone wants in their team.
"He earned money to look after his family. He loved playing football to look after his family. All the relatives, uncles, aunts, grandparents, they all relied on him to look after them.
"I knew him first as a young player at Twente. He was the toughest player I’ve ever seen.
"On the field and in training he was such a competitor. He wanted to win every game, kick every player and win every tackle. Some days we would have to pull him out of training because he was such a ferocious competitor, such a winner. He was a warrior and could play too."
