By ESPNsoccernet staff
Former Newcastle United star David Ginola thinks that Hatem Ben Arfa has the potential to become one of the best players in the league.
Ben Arfa, 24, signed for the Magpies last summer, but suffered a double leg fracture against Manchester City in October and only made it back into the first-team this week in the 4-3 extra-time win over Nottingham Forest in the third-round of the Carling Cup.
However, Ginola has seen enough to convince him that his fellow countryman is a class act.
"When I saw Ben Arfa signing for Newcastle United, I said 'well this is a good signing'. I thought the hardest thing for him would be to settle down in Newcastle," Ginola told talkSPORT. "But there is no doubt he is very talented. He has got everyting to be one of the best players in the country. He was badly injured last year but he will recover from that.
"Newcastle are fourth in the league right now and Ben Arfa will be a very big asset for the club in the future."
Toon boss Alan Pardew, though, is refusing to rush his midfielder back into action.
He told the Journal: "It is a matter of when he is ready. He shows flashes of brilliance in training but I want him to do it more often in training before I bring him in.
"It was just nice for us firstly to see him playing in a Newcastle jersey in a competitive game, and secondly to see the level he played at because I don't think we expected him to be as sharp as he was. I would say he is one step ahead of where we thought he would be."
Pardew added: "Realistically he knows he has got more to do on the training ground. He smiles at me as if to say, 'Okay, I will play next week'. There are times in the coming weeks if he has not made a start he will be kicking my door down.''
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