He became a Newcastle hero when he scored a sensational 35-yard lob goal against Manchester United 25 years ago.
And his flamboyant defense coupled with a flamboyant power saw him become a steadfast fan favorite during his five years at Tyneside.
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But even the most die-hard Geordi fan for the event today might struggle to recognize this 54-year-old former footballer.
This is of course Philippe Albert, who currently works as a TV pundit for Belgian TV in his homeland.
In 1994 Albert left Anderlecht to sign for Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle United.
He revealed that he turned down transfers to Italian sides Juventus and Fiorentina because he liked the weather in the north of England.
And being a big fan of Keegan since his Liverpool days, it was a dream come true for Albert to play under his hero.
Albert seemed to enjoy playing on Keegan’s attacking teams.
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Despite the fact that he was middle-half, the Belgian was often found roaming the edge of the opposition’s box.
But he didn’t even make that far on a glorious day in October 1996 when Manchester United were in town when he scored a proper belter.
Newcastle were at home and went 4-0 up on goals from Darren Peacock, David Ginola, Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer.
With only seven minutes of normal time remaining, Albert picked up the ball for 45 yards, ran 10 ahead, and threw the ball over Peter Schmeichel in the combined goal.
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He left happily, as his teammates could barely understand what they had just seen.
Speaking to the Newcastle Chronicle about that goal, Albert said: “Remember Peter Schmeichel was one of the best keepers in the world. He used to come very far from his line. He did this to reduce the attackers’ angle. Did.
“It was something special to me, I saw him coming out of my line and I thought: ‘Why not?’
“It was Man United and Schmeichel, and I knew if it stopped people would be talking about it for years. If it didn’t work out it was 4-0.
“So I tried to do something that you would consider very special for a defender. Technically it is very difficult to score a goal – especially for a defender.
“I was lucky to score that kind of goal.”
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Sadly for Albert, his time at Newcastle came to an end.
Keegan was sacked in 1998 and replaced by Ruud Gullit, who essentially told Albert that his time was up.
The defender then joined Fulham to join Keegan, and was eventually sold back to the Belgian in 1999 after Charleroi paid £600,000 for him.
Albert retired the following season.
In a good career, the 6ft 3in centre-half also won 41 caps for Belgium, scoring five goals.
He will undoubtedly be remembered as a cult hero on the stands of St James’s Park.
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