Mention the name Hatem Ben Arfa to most Newcastle United fans, and their mind will automatically go back to *that* goal against Bolton.
The former France international is a favourite of the Magpies, who even went out of their way to wish him a happy birthday on Thursday as he turned 37.
Reaching that milestone led Foot Mercato to provide an update on the player, who still hasn’t retired but hasn’t featured in a football game since April 2022.
He fell out with then Lille manager Jocelyn Gourvennec and was released from his short contract in July of that same year, never finding a new club since.
The website reveal he spends a lot of his time in Paris, and plays a lot of padel, where he plays at the 4Padel club in Seine-Saint-Denis.
In fact, a report from Le Parisien stated he was 1342nd out of 42000 ranked players in the sport, as he appears to be very passionate about the sport.
As for a return to football, they explain the once Newcastle star did get a few approaches from Europe, but it never ‘went any further’.
Still not officially retired, it seems the attacking midfielder has found a new hobby, and is happy to let time pass without the need of a big announcement.
