A FORMER Newcastle United manager and player yesterday became the latest Geordie football legend to be immortalised in concrete.

Willie McFaul, the goalkeeper in the Magpies side that won the Fairs Cup in 1969, added his hand prints to the Newcastle United Pitch of Fame at St James Metro Station, near St James' Park.

He played for the club more than 350 times between 1966 and 1975. He became manager following the departure of Jack Charlton in 1985 and won 140 games during a tenure that lasted until 1988.

He was also instrumental in nurturing stars such as Paul Gascoigne throughout the mid-1980s.

He is best remembered for a penalty save against Glasgow Rangers in the semi-final of the Fairs Cup, the forerunner of the UEFA Cup.

He was a member of the 1969 Fairs Cup winning side, which beat Ujpest Dozsa, of Hungary 6-2 on aggregate.

He won six Northern Ireland international caps.

The Pitch of Fame, situated inside the Metro station, already boasts the prints of legends such as Sir Bobby Robson, Alan Shearer and Peter Beardsley.

Mr McFaul, who returned to Tyneside for the first time since 1990, said he was delighted to be immortalised.

Andy Bairstow, commercial director for Nexus, which operates the Metro network, said: "Willie led the team in the eighties and is held in great affection with the Newcastle fans.

"He's a fitting character to line up alongside the other stars on the Pitch of Fame."