'When I first got to Newcastle, I thought they were speaking German!' The incredible inside story of cult football film 'Goal!' told by Santiago Munez himself

"Santiago Munez holds the unique honour of being a Newcastle United cult hero, despite never having played a competitive game for the club. That's because he's fictional. He's a character, the protagonist of an underdog story dreamed up by Hollywood film-makers. Two decades later, his name remains synonymous with one word: Goal!"

"After years in the US as an undocumented migrant, Munez was employed part-time at a Chinese restaurant and as a labourer in Los Angeles, before being spotted playing football at a local park by Glen Foy, an ex-Newcastle player. Believing he'd unearthed the next big thing, Foy urged his former club to give Munez an opportunity."

"Just as it appeared his hopes had been dashed, Munez's grandmother funded his trip to England, but he struggled to adapt to the British winter and the rough-and-tumble style of reserve-team football. Foy and his gut instinct persuaded Newcastle's sceptical gaffer Erik Dornhelm to extend Munez's trial."

Santiago Munez is a fictional protagonist created for the 2005 film 'Goal!', written by Adrian Butchart, Mike Jefferies, Ian La Frenais, and Dick Clement. The film follows a young Mexican who illegally enters the United States and works as an undocumented migrant in Los Angeles, employed at a Chinese restaurant and as a laborer. Discovered playing football in a local park by Glen Foy, an ex-Newcastle player, Munez receives an opportunity to trial for Newcastle United. Despite initial obstacles including stolen savings and difficulty adapting to British conditions, he perseveres through a trial period. With intervention from star striker Gavin Harris, Munez ultimately scores a crucial injury-time goal that qualifies Newcastle for the Champions League, cementing his status as a cult hero.

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