Newcastle signal intent with Cisse signing

All signed up: Cisse at Newcastle's Benton training ground

Just under twelve months ago, the ambition of the Newcastle hierarchy was placed under great scrutiny as they sold home grown number 9 Andy Carroll to Liverpool for £35 million.

Fast forward to the present day, Newcastle sit sixth in the Barclays Premier League table, one place above Liverpool and have signalled their European intentions with a big money signing of their own.

In a move that surprised every outside of the football club, Newcastle completed a five and a half year deal for Freiburg forward Papiss Cisse.

Cisse, one of the hotter properties in European football in recent seasons, has been handed the famous number 9 jersey by Newcastle Manager Alan Pardew, and will join up with his new team mates when he returns from African Cup of Nations duty.

Nicknamed the Toumboule (the effective one) in his African homeland, Cisse possesses all the ability of a top level striker; fast; strong on the ball and with an eye for goal; the Senegalese international was an instant hit upon joining the German side in January of 2010.

Indeed, Cisse's record in German football speaks for itself. The striker netted 6 times in 16 appearances in his first few months as a Freiburg player. Cisse continued his fine goal scoring form in his first full Bundesliga season, scoring a remarkable 24 goals in 34 games in all competitions.

Cisse celebrates one of his many Freiburg goals

Unsurprisingly, Cisse's fine form in front of goal attracted the attention of clubs across Europe, and he was linked with a number of English clubs - including Newcastle - in last year's summer transfer window.

Despite all the speculation, Cisse remained at the Black Forest club, but his 9 goals in 17 appearances this term have forced Newcastle to pull the trigger on a deal that will lift some of the pressure off Demba Ba's shoulders.

It was certainly a case of humble beginnings for Cisse, who grew up in the Casamance region in southwest Senegal. The striker left home at a relatively young age and moved to the capital Dakar to live with an Uncle in order to pursue his football career.

Cisse spent his youth career with AS Generation Foot, but at the tender age of 18 he was picked up by top division club AS Douanes, where he spent two years before being handed his first big break in the form of a trial with French outfit FC Metz.

A record of 5 goals in 8 games for the reserve team earned him a contract with French side. Cisse enjoyed two productive loan spells AS Cherbourg and Chateauroux before cementing himself as the first choice centre forward at the Ligue 2 club.

Freiburg came knocking following a friendly with Metz at their Badenova-Stadion in which Cisse scored one and set up another in a 2-1 for the Maroons. The Metz hierarchy initially refuted the German outfit's advances, but financial difficulties soon forced them to accept Freiburg's £1.3m offer.

Now Cisse faces his biggest challenge yet, carrying the responsibility of wearing Newcastle United's legendary number 9 jersey, it is something the 26-year-old could never have dreamed of when taking those first steps on the footballing ladder in the Senegalese capital.

In the realm of Newcastle number nines Cisse is certainly more Andy Cole than Andy Carroll, a true poacher, Cisse will hope to benefit from the familiarity he shares with international team mate Ba, if he does so then he will quickly become a popular figure with the Geordie faithful.