Alexander Isak is surely on his way to becoming one of the greatest players to have ever pulled on the famous black and white shirt of Newcastle United. The super Swede's astonishing form already has some younger fans claiming he is the best they've seen.
This is a period in the club's history that could go down as one of the best. The players on show - Isak, Bruno Guimareas, Sandro Tonali, Kieran Tripper - are among the finest the Magpies have ever had, certainly in the last 60-70 years.
Jackie Milburn remains, for many, the greatest player in Newcastle's history. He scored 200 goals in 397 appearances and won three FA Cups in 1951, 1952 and 1955. Other legends include Len White, Hughie Gallacher, Bob Moncur, Paul Gascoigne and Malcom Macdonald.
In the more modern era, two men from the Entertainers era can't be overlooked - Alan Shearer and Peter Beardsley. It's not just recency bias that has these two legends in the conversation - while there will be very few people alive still who watched Wor Jackie or White in their pomp, there are many who saw Shearer banging in the goals and Beardsley's twinkling toes - as the dynamic duo are rightly considered among the greatest.
Shearer, the club's all-time leading scorer with 206 goals, [reignited the debate over the greatest with his comments on the Rest is Football podcast,](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/alan-shearer-names-greatest-newcastle-31077242) when he was asked about Newcastle's best player. “I wouldn’t ever say myself, so Peter Beardsley I think," said Shearer. "He was unbelievable, he was a great player. I didn’t see Jackie Milburn but certainly in my era, Peter Beardsley.”
It's a difficult subject to judge. Our writers have a go at picking their No.1 below and you can agree or disagree with them in the comments section and by taking part in our poll at the bottom of this article.
### John Gibson
Oh, I've been saying literally for years in print, podcasts, and on stage at talk-ins that it's Peter Beardsley. I think that Big Al must be copying me!
It is difficult to compare a goalkeeper with at outside-left, centre-forward or midfielder but the greatest arts in football are scoring and creating goals and when a player can do both effortlessly and with sheer grace then he stands alone. Beardo was a master of both, a swaying hypnotic attacker, a visionary, and a ruthless finisher.
He was a dream in black and white and a Geordie to boot. The perfect combination.
### Lee Ryder
It's got to be Alan Shearer. I feel fortunate that I was able to not only witness a black and white legend, but also one of the true footballing greats of all-time.
Putting aside his faith to join Kevin Keegan's Entertainers for a second, I also look back to his loyalty because he could have left on more than one occasion when the wheels were coming off after 1997. Incredibly, Ruud Gullit also tried to shove him out the door when he still had a ridiculous amount of goals in him.
It's not just about finding the onion bag on a regular basis though. Shearer was a standard bearer, he'd be back heading away corners, he'd be the one expertly running the clock down when he knew the team were on their last legs and he'd be the one that would make it clear when things weren't good enough for the fans.
The 206 goals are just the tip of the iceberg. What I also admired about Shearer was that win, lose or draw he'd always speak to the media as he saw the importance of communication with the public via reporters.
That £15million was £15m well spent.
### Ciaran Kelly
I was, obviously, not fortunate enough to see Jackie Milburn scoring for fun as Newcastle won three successive FA Cups in the '50s or to witness Hughie Gallacher help fire the Magpies to their last top-flight title in 1927 but, even still, it is hard to look beyond Alan Shearer. Even if that is the most predictable answer ever.
Shearer's individual achievements while wearing black-and-white speak for themselves after the striker became the Premier League's record goal scorer, Newcastle's all-time leading goal scorer and even finished in third place in the vote for the Ballon d'Or. How long it will be before another Newcastle player achieves those feats?
Yet what has always stood out to me about Shearer is how the Geordie stuck around. Shearer could have won more titles and scored even more goals elsewhere during some lean years at Newcastle yet genuinely never regretted turning down Manchester United to join his boyhood club. There is a lot to be said for that.
### Aaron Stokes
I'll not stray too far what my esteemed colleagues have said - despite, again, offering a predictable answer. It simply has to be Big Al.
Jackie Milburn's achievements speak for themselves and Peter Beardsley dazzled for those of a previous generation. You could even throw in someone like Shay Given if you wanted to be clever.
But let's keep it simple. 260 Premier League goals; a feat that may never be broken. An unwavering loyalty and a fee that proved to be the bargain of the century. Shearer may offer the modest answer of Beardsley but I'm going for the main man himself.
Ask me again in 10 years time and maybe (hopefully) Alexander Isak will be in the running...