Diego Gavilan was signed in January 2000 by Sir Bobby Robson and became the first ever Paraguayan to play in England. He cost United £2m when he left his native Paraguay behind at the age of just 19 from Cerra Porteno.

Gavilan was already capped several times before leaving, and quickly broke through into the first team picture for Newcastle and played half a dozen times for Toon in the 1999/2000 season, scoring his first Premiership goal against Coventry in April 2000.

Gavilan is nicknamed Sparrowhawk, and is the son and nephew of famous title-winning Paraguayans. He was capped eight times for both the Paraguay Under-17 and Under-20 teams while playing for his only club before Newcastle, Cerro Porteno of Asuncion.

During 2000/01, Gavilan failed to get regularly into the first team picture, making only two early season substitute appearances all season.. He joined Club Autonoma Universidad de Guadalajara (Mexico) on loan for the rest of 2002, but came back early due to the poor handling by the club of him. Gavilan also managed to get into the Paraguay side for the World Cup in Japan & Korea. He is now currently on loan at Sporting Club Internacional Porto Alegre in Brazil until December 2003, and it looks as though he dosn't feature in Sir Bobby Robson's plans at all and looks destined to leave.