I was part of Newcastle’s French Revolution in 2013, but disappeared from top-flight football at 27 to focus on time with my family. Now – after SEVEN years away – I’m back playing in France’s fifth tier!

In 2012 – just three years after being relegated from the Premier League – Newcastle finished fifth in the top flight to secure a return to European football.

It was a huge achievement for the club that had struggled for years under owner Mike Ashley, but sustaining it was always going to be a challenge with such a thin squad.

Magpies boss Alan Pardew had to enter the transfer market to strengthen his team, and with the help of chief scout Graham Carr – father of comedian Alan Carr – Newcastle opted for a French Revolution.

After signing Romain Amalfitano from Stade Reims in July 2012, Newcastle committed fully to their French project in January by signing no fewer than five players from Ligue 1.

Moussa Sissoko, Mathieu Debuchy, Yoan Gouffran, Massadio Haidara and central defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa entered.

He signed for £7 million after winning Ligue 1 with Montpellier just over six months earlier

However, he recently turned his back on football after leaving Lyon more than three years ago

Not much was known about the five-piece when they arrived in England, but Yanga-Mbiwa was seen as an exciting prospect after winning Ligue 1 with Montpellier just over six months earlier.

He had also made his France debut in September 2012, and bringing in a 23-year-old international for £7 million mid-season seemed like a good thing for Newcastle.

Yanga-Mbiwa quickly moved into Newcastle’s starting XI and led the team away from the threat of relegation after a difficult start to the season, with Pardew’s men finishing five points clear of the bottom three.

Could he build on his early promise?

Not really. Yanga-Mbiwa made 23 league appearances in his first full season at St James’ Park but struggled to consistently hold down a place in the side.

Newcastle finished mid-table, but Yanga-Mbiwa began to drop down the pecking order and he was loaned out to Serie A team Roma in September 2014.

The move was made permanent four months later, with the French defender leaving Tyneside after making just 46 appearances for Newcastle.

During his time in Rome he played Champions League football, even clashing with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi in a pre-season friendly, but it proved to be a short-lived stay in the Italian capital.

Yanga-Mbiwa spent a year in Serie A, playing for Italian giants Roma

He clashed with Lionel Messi during a pre-season friendly in one of his final games for Roma

Less than a year after joining the club, he was sold to Lyon.

When Yanga-Mbiwa returned to his home country to play for one of France’s top clubs, it looked like Yanga-Mbiwa had a real chance to restart his career.

And he played regularly in his first two seasons, with Lyon finishing second and fourth in Ligue 1 respectively.

But after just two appearances in the first half of the 2017-18 season, Yanga-Mbiwa missed the squad for most of the season, and was only limited to a handful of reserve games during the final days. of his contract before leaving the sport in 2020.

His last senior appearance came in November 2017, and that seemed to be the last we would ever see Yanga-Mbiwa on a football field.

Until now.

Yanga-Mbiwa moved to Lyon in 2015 and finished second behind PSG in his first season

He played regularly for the team for the first two seasons, but then fell out of favor

Yanga-Mbiwa played his last senior game for Lyon in 2017 but stayed until his contract expired in 2020

At the age of 34, he made a shock comeback by signing for French fifth division club Istres.

The little-known team is based in the south of France and once played in Ligue 1 in 2004-05, but were relegated after just one season.

They last played in Ligue 2 in 2014, but were relegated all the way to the seventh tier the following year due to financial problems.

They have since started to work their way back up and have done enough to tempt Yanga-Mbiwa to pull his boots back on.

He explained his decision to effectively retire after a seven-year absence from senior football: said Yanga-Mbiwa: ‘The project is interesting and I wanted to get back into the field. I will take my experience and pass it on to young people.’

When asked what he had been doing to keep himself busy in recent years, he added: “After Lyon, I rested and enjoyed my family and friends.”

Yanga-Mbiwa went straight to Istres’ side on Saturday as they recorded a 2-0 win at Lucciana.

Yanga-Mbiwa’s Instagram suggests the defender has kept himself in good shape in recent years

He has now returned to play in France’s fifth division for Istres, after seven years away from senior football

That win means Istres now move four points clear at the top of the Championnat National 3 Group A table with a match in hand against their nearest rivals.

Yanga-Mbiwa could now be crucial to their promotion as they aim to return to France’s top divisions.

It’s been quite a journey for Yanga-Mbiwa, from becoming Ligue 1 champions at the age of 23 to playing in the Premier League, Serie A and Champions League, only to disappear when most players are in their prime would achieve.

But he’s back and now has the chance to prove he still has a lot to offer.