For a man with a nickname of such dynamic sleekness as Black Arrow, Faustino Asprilla cannot half slouch. The nickname Armchair may seem more appropriate, although whoever described Asprilla as "a bag of snakes" recently encapsulated his elusiveness both on and off the park.

Nor is this demeanour a mere affectation, a tactic to seduce defenders into thinking Asprilla is either drained or disaffected. It is, it seems, just the way he is. Certainly the way he dragged his 11 st frame around St James' Park on Thursday afternoon as if it was a burden 10 times that weight confirmed that impression.

Maybe, though, Asprilla's manner was subdued somewhat at the thought of participating in an interview - he is wary, understandably, of the media given the guns, drugs and women stories that appear and he speaks rarely. The fact that the interpreter had not yet arrived did not help either. "Why are women always late?" was his half-complaint to her on the telephone.

And yet, welcome though she was, her presence was hardly necessary because Asprilla's English is better than he lets on. Thus, while waiting, he picked up the Guardian (not his own copy), saw the Kevin Keegan/Fulham story and said: "Fulham? Second division? Ah, soon we will all be there - Asprilla, Ginola, Ferdinand, Shearer . . ."

It was followed by a look that said: "I hope this bloke doesn't think I'm serious," and it set a trend. After almost every question had been answered sensibly - in Italian rather than Spanish, occasionally English - an irreverent aside would usually follow: Kenny Dalglish's Spanish, Keith Gillespie's girlfriend and her role against Barcelona - Asprilla the smiler likes his jokes.

Even when criticism arose, such as his part in the loss of Newcastle's 12 point lead two seasons ago, Asprilla was far from the surly egotist you might imagine him to be. "All I remember is that when I came we had some difficult away games, at Arsenal, Liverpool, Blackburn. We won the difficult home games but it was away that we lost it.

"I hadn't played for six months because I was in dispute at Parma but I was still sad. I tried my best. I never read the papers but if people want to point the finger at me and if that makes everybody happy then it's okay by me." Then he threw out his arms and smiled again.

Asprilla and the 12 points is still a topic of discussion on Tyneside, especially in this week of Keegan's return, but the attitude towards Asprilla post-Alan Shearer's injury and post-Barcelona is radically changed. He is now an essential rather than a luxury.

Recalling his fur-coated arrival in the January sleet 20 months ago he said: "I'd heard of Newcastle, but I hadn't seen them play. When I came for the medical and there were so many people chanting my name I thought `where the hell am I?' Every time I see those photographs I just feel cold."

Yet though he was to make his debut at Middlesbrough begloved, the climate change from Italy is not Asprilla's foremost memory. "The first difference I noticed was that when I looked in the mirror I didn't have on my Parma shirt, I saw myself in a different shirt and I couldn't believe it. I had so many great friends in Parma, I'll always be in debt to them."

He reacquaints himself with one of those friends at Stamford Bridge today, Chelsea's Gianfranco Zola, although as Asprilla stayed with Zola last weekend and as they often speak on the telephone it is a regular reacquaintance. Now 27, Asprilla had been with Parma since leaving Colombia as a 22-year-old. His potential was such that Parma contracted him until 2000 but after falling out with the coach, Scala, Asprilla said phlegmatically that he had reached "the end of a cycle."

It was a cycle that began at the age of 17 with Deportivo Cucuta, then came Nacional of Medellin and then the Colombian national team with whom Asprilla became The Black Arrow. From a family of eight children in rural Tulua, Asprilla had gone from teenage debutante to Colombian Footballer of the Year in four seasons.

And while Asprilla's professional loyalty is to Newcastle there is no doubting that his emotional allegiance lies with Colombia. With considerable input from Asprilla Colombia have reached another World Cup finals but the country and Asprilla will hope for happier memories from France than from America three years ago.

Then, after scoring an own goal against the USA, Andreas Escobar, the Colombian captain, was murdered in a Medellin car park. Asprilla's tone altered at the mention of Escobar's name.

"Everybody was upset of course, and I was, too. He was the most trustworthy man I'd ever met. He was my friend and I miss him. Nobody can judge Colombia because there you think you know somebody and unfortunately you can never know."

That said, Asprilla still intends to return for Colombia's final match in Argentina in November even though qualification is already assured. Newcastle and Dalglish might just have something to say about that because Asprilla's late re-appearances from international duty are a major problem - particularly now that Asprilla is Newcastle's key player.

"You try doing a 20-hour journey and then playing a game" is his response. It took the interpreter to point out that these trips are the only time Asprilla gets to see his four-year-old son. Otherwise, though, Asprilla appears content.

He lives on his own in a village north of Newcastle "but there's always someone around"; he has nights out in Newcastle with his team mates, but turns his nose up at golf; and he understands the banter that goes on in the dressingroom.

"I've never felt isolated, if I did I'd leave." The only improvement he can think of is the quick return of Shearer. "Sometimes playing alone upfront can be difficult, though I've done it many times for Parma and Colombia. I can't say we would be in a better position with Shearer but he would definitely have made a contribution."

And then The Black Arrow yawned, picked up his car keys and left. "Hey, you didn't ask about the women," he shouted back. Funny that.