Just two months previous, the 60-year-old had been manager of European giants Real Madrid, yet rocked up at St James’s Park to try and save United’s Premier League status.
The Spaniard, of course, fell just short in his challenge – which started with a Monday night fixture at eventual champions Leicester City.
Shinji Okazaki’s overhead kick decided the result in the Foxes’ favour but that didn’t set the tone for Benitez’s three-year tenure, who brought smiles and hope back to the people of Tyneside.
Here, we take a look at Benitez’s first-ever Newcastle starting XI and reveal where the players who featured at the King Power Stadium are now:
Shinji Okazaki’s overhead kick decided the result in the Foxes’ favour but that didn’t set the tone for Benitez’s three-year tenure, who brought smiles and hope back to the people of Tyneside.