I scored crucial Newcastle goal, told Kevin Keegan to sign Peter Beardsley then received standing ovation on St James’ Park return as Sunderland player

There aren't many players who leave Newcastle, play for Sunderland and return to Tyneside as heroes, but David Kelly is one such individual.

The former striker became a cult hero and scored one of Newcastle's most important goals before playing for their great rivals.

Crossing the Tyne-Wear divide never usually ends well; ask Jack Colback or Lee Clark, but Kelly was an exception.

And with the latest incarnation of the derby looming, which is live on talkSPORT, it's a good time to look back at a crucial player in Newcastle's story.

The striker moved to St James' Park from Leicester in 1991 and departed in 1993, having played 70 games and scoring 35 goals.

However, none were as crucial as the one in 1992 against Portsmouth.
The Magpies faced relegation to the Third Division with just two games of the season remaining.

Kelly scored the winner in a 1-0 victory, saving the club from demotion.

Speaking in Newcastle United Match of My Life, by talkSPORT's Alex Crook and co-author Jake Rusby, the forward recalls the game.

He said: «In terms of my winning goal, for several years afterwards, I thought it was from outside the penalty area and didn't realise it was five yards inside the box until I watched it on YouTube.

»It was still a decent strike. It also came at a good time of the game, with only five minutes remaining.

«That was our penultimate game of the season, and we then travelled to my old club, Leicester, on the last day to win 2-1 at Filbert Street. It didn't make any difference because we ended up winning, and, in fact, that victory over Portsmouth would have kept us up anyway.»

Had Newcastle been relegated that season, who knows where they would be today?

But that goal changed everything, and the Toon stormed to promotion under