David Ginola was “stabbed in the back” by Newcastle while holidaying in France

Frenchman David Ginola felt betrayed by Newcastle after they denied him his dream move to Barcelona in the summer of 1996, and a phone call with Kevin Keegan left him particularly frustrated

Former Newcastle United star David Ginola felt the club "stabbed him in the back" after denying him a dream move to Barcelona in 1996.

The Frenchman had caught the eye of Barca boss Bobby Robson after impressing in his debut season in the Premier League.

Newcastle were still reeling after surrendering a 12-point lead to Manchester United during the latter stages of the campaign and Magpies boss Kevin Keegan was desperate to keep his squad together to have another pop at the title.

Despite getting phone calls from Sir Bobby himself while on holiday in France that summer, Ginola was told he wasn't allowed to leave, no matter what Barcelona offered.

"I was back in the south of France on holiday, sad because we lost the title, but not expecting anything else," he told The Athletic.

"When the phone rang and it was Sir Bobby, saying he wanted me, that they were going to make an offer.

"They started at £6million and went up to £12million, until Keegan called me and said it didn't matter how much they bid, Newcastle wouldn't let me go.

"I said to him, ‘You have to. This is my last chance to play for Barcelona — a club which will be winning trophies every year.’

"It was no disrespect to Newcastle, but a career is so short. When it didn't happen again, I had to go back.

"And then when Keegan left us that January, he left me, too. I felt stabbed in the back."

It wasn't the first time the winger had been wanted by the Spanish giants.

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In 1994, after being crowned Ligue 1 champions with PSG - as well as winning the league's Player of the Year award - Ginola was invited to a golf tournament by Barca manager Johan Cruyff.

"He told me he wanted to sign me," Ginola said.

"Cruyff was my idol. His was the only poster I had on my bedroom wall as a kid. He was sitting opposite me saying, ‘You remind me of me, when I was playing.’

"The decision was made, it was done, my life was there [with Barcelona].

"I waited and waited until mid-July, when I received a call saying he couldn't get rid of the other players and so he couldn't sign me. It was a really big disappointment".

The Frenchman ended up staying in Paris for another year before moving to Newcastle in 1995.

After Keegan resigned in 1997, a 30-year-old Ginola fell out of favour with new manager Kenny Dalglish and left for Tottenham Hotspur the following summer.

Two years later, he was crowed PFA Player of the Year.

Ginola later had brief stints with Aston Villa and Everton before retiring in 2002, having never secured his dream move to Barca.

He will be back on the biggest stage of all (in reality TV terms), though, when he appears on I'm A Celebrity later this month.