Newcastle v Manchester City: Ultimate 5-a-side teams

Ahead of the meeting between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St James' Park this weekend, we've devised two fantasy 5-a-side teams comprised of both side's most distinguished talents in the Premier League era.

Newcastle 5-a-side team:

GK: Shay Given

One of the Premier League's outstanding goalkeepers during his prime, Shay Given was a hero on Tyneside during his 12-year stay at Newcastle United.

An athletic and agile keeper with terrific shot-stopping ability, Given was also a vocal figure who would demand nothing but 100% from his charges out on the five-a-side field.

A popular fans' favourite at St James' Park, the courageous Irishman would take some beating in this fantasy fives matchup.
 

DEF: Fabricio Coloccini

Guarding Given in goal, I've plumped for 39-times capped Argentine international Fabricio Coloccini who spent eight years at Newcastle between 2008 and 2016.

An aggressive and dogged centre-back, Coloccini also possessed a typically South American capacity to handle the ball at his feet, and the shaggy-haired defender would be more than capable of playing out from the back in this five-a-side Magpies side.

Like Given behind him, Coloccini was also a leader during his playing days who would provide this team with an added never-say-die mentality.
 

MID: Bruno Guimaraes

Adding a further dose of South American tenacity and technical prowess to the ranks, Brazilian Bruno Guimaraes would act as the conducting playmaker within this five-a-side team.

Guimaraes has been a revelation at Newcastle since signing from Lyon in January 2022, with an admirable mixture of quality on the ball and willingness to put his foot in when required.

The Brazil international would therefore be more than up for either a possession-oriented chess match or a more rugged, physical five-a-side battle where he'd be forced to roll his sleeves up.
 

FWD: Peter Beardsley

Providing the link between midfield and attack is none other than local hero Peter Beardsley, one of the most-loved Newcastle players of all time who enjoyed two successful stints with the Magpies.

Capable of playing in attacking midfield or up front, Beardsley was a diminutive, fleet-footed operator with terrific dribbling ability and capacity to beat defenders.

Boasting an outstanding football brain, Beardsley would be able to find space in a compact five-a-side field and act as the chief support to this team's primary goal-getter at the top end of the pitch...
 

FWD: Alan Shearer

If Alan Shearer was able to muster 260 Premier League goals as the competition's all-time record holder, just imagine the damage he'd be able to do on a five-a-side pitch...

The ultimate natural goalscorer, Shearer was not only an astonishing finisher but a top-class all-round striker with impressive strength and movement.

Capable of finding the net from any angle, the Newcastle legend could prove the difference-maker in tight encounters out on the Astroturf.
 

Manchester City 5-a-side team:

GK: Ederson

Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson is that good with his feet that he'd likely more than hold his own as an outfielder in this fantasy five-a-side encounter.

Signed from Benfica in 2017, Ederson already has five Premier League titles to his name, with his all-round game seeming to improve with every passing year.

Possessing an outstanding left foot, Ederson would not only protect the five-a-side goal resolutely but also be capable of distributing the ball with peerless proficiently.
 

DEF: Vincent Kompany

Every team needs a leader and in Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany this five-a-side outfit would have one of the best captains in Premier League history.

A four-time Premier League champion, Kompany was a rock at the back for the Citizens as a defender with both terrific physical strength and ability to read the game.

The charismatic Belgian would act as the chief organiser within this side as well as a formidable last line of defence.
 

MID: Yaya Toure

Unplayable on his day during a decorated eight-year spell at Man City between 2010 and 2018, Yaya Toure was a midfielder who could do it all.

Not only tremendously physically strong and difficult to shake off the ball, Toure had exceptional technical quality which allowed him to dribble past defenders, find killer passes and score goals himself.

An imposing figure at 6ft 2ins, Toure would thrive in a five-a-side environment where he'd be able to dominate opponents by outmuscling them and outplaying them in close quarters.
 

MID: David Silva

Alongside Toure I've selected the silky-skilled Spaniard David Silva, arguably one of the most technically gifted players the Premier League has ever seen.

A small and slight attacking midfielder, Silva's agility and football brain allowed him to find space and eliminate defenders with ease, with the 2010 World Cup winner both capable of making clever assists and delivering stunning goals.

Silva could provide the perfect link between the all-action Toure behind him and a certain acclaimed Argentine in front of him within this fantasy City line-up...
 

FWD: Sergio Aguero

Scorer of one of the most famous goals in English football history when firing City to their first ever Premier League title against QPR in 2012, there's few better match-winners to call upon than Argentine striking sensation Sergio Aguero.

Only 5ft 8ins, Aguero possessed a low centre of gravity akin to compatriot and close personal friend Lionel Messi, whilst also boasting a tigerish South American competitiveness and will to win.

Aguero would likely thrive in a small-sided match which wouldn't require too much in the form of long distance running, with the City legend one of the best Premier League players ever at manipulating the ball in tight spaces and finishing with both feet.