Signed on a season-long loan, with an option to make it permanent, Papa Waigo N’Diaye was a player capable of provoking a cheer or sigh in the same breath. Very much an impact player – as demonstrated by the number of times he came off the bench –

Papa could be, at his best, all but unplayable, with his unorthodox style, blistering speed and unpredictable coltishness. But at his worst, with his seeming ignorance of the offside law, his inconsistency and his occasional selfishness, he could be frustrating.

A statistical appraisal of his season might conclude that the pluses came to outweigh the minuses, if only because of his outstanding contribution to the Saints’ capture of the 2010 Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. On the way to Wembley, Papa twice scored both goals in a 2-2 draw – v Torquay and Norwich, in turn – and then converted his spot-kick in each of the shoot-outs.

It was appropriate, then, that he should score his fifth goal of the competition in the Final, making him the top-scorer of the run.

All in all, it might have been expected that the option of making the deal permanent in the close season of 2011 would have been triggered, especially as Markus Liebherr, so evidently overjoyed at Wembley, had revealed that Papa was a favourite of his. It seems that manager Pardew was less enamoured, though. Whatever the reasons, Papa returned to Italy. He was soon out on loan again, before being transferred, first within Italy and then to a variety of clubs based in either the U.A.E. or Saudi apart from one season in the Italian Serie D.