7:58PM, Fri Nov 2, 2012

Tino Asprilla: Graham Carr Should Scout Colombia

By Hugh Macknight Location: Colombia

Tino in action against Manchester United in May 1997

Newcastle United cult hero Asprilla says Graham Carr should scout Colombia for emerging talent.

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The former Newcastle striker, who played for Kevin Keegan's famous Entertainers team in 1996, said the South American football philosophy fitted the swashbuckling style fans wanted to see at St James' Park.

He hailed teenage starlet Esteban Lopez, a 16-year-old Colombian midfielder at Newcastle academy, and said he could help Carr, the club's chief scout, find players who could become first team stars.

Carr is credited with bringing to the club Yohan Cabaye, Cheick Tiote, Demba Ba, Ben Arfa, and Papiss Cisse.

Speaking exclusively to Sky Tyne and Wear from Colombia, Tino said: "I think Newcastle should bring in a midfielder that supports the strikers, such as Bale from Tottenham.

"Newcastle should make a trip to Colombia. We have great emerging talent and I would be very happy to host the Newcastle United staff and to help them with anything I could, such as introduce them to the people that manage football in Colombia.

"At the moment there are many players from Colombia that could be very capable of playing for Newcastle, not to forget there's a great Colombian player at Newcastle academy called Esteban Lopez who’s 16 years old, and also a Colombian under-13 who plays for Hartlepool academy who’s shown great skill and talent for his age, he's called Juan Pava.

"I think Newcastle have always loved South American players because there’s a certain spiciness in their game that makes football a little bit more exciting and it gives a certain flavour to football."

Estaban is described on the nufc.co.uk website as being a tricky, skillful player who joined Newcastle from Wallsend Boys.

Tino said signing for Newcastle was like joining a "big family".

"The love that you get at the club and from the fans you don’t get anywhere else. And the pride you get when you step into St James' Park with a black and white strip is simply amazing."