Faustino Asprilla has fired a parting shot at Kenny Dalglish, claiming the Newcastle manager has "lost the plot".

Asprilla, who is about to rejoin Italian side Parma for around £6million, has accused Dalglish of dismantling the team his predecessor Kevin Keegan had built and said Keegan's side played entertaining football.

The Colombian striker told the News of the World: "Kevin Keegan was trying to build a team to win the championship and compete with the very best in Europe.

Beautiful football

"He put together a big squad of quality players and we played some beautiful football.

"But then Dalglish came and dismantled it all. He lost the plot."

Asprilla is joining Parma for £6m

Newcastle have been unhappy at Asprilla's influence on the training ground and he has arrived back late several times from international matches with Colombia.

But Asprilla defended himself: "How can what Dalglish say be sensible.

"I'm a professional footballer and I want to get fit and to play football -- that's what I do.

No arguments with other players

"I never had one argument with any of the players in the changing room. They would invite me out to meals with them and there were no problems," said the Colombian.

Asprilla is also at the centre of claims that he was involved in a punch-up at a Tyneside restaurant.

A Newcastle United spokesman said: "We are aware of an incident regarding Tino Asprilla in a restaurant.

"But while the club is obviously disappointed that Tino found himself involved in something, we understand that Tino is planning to resolve the situation himself," he told The People newspaper.

Peter Beardsley applauds Shearer onto the field

Need for new striker

Dalglish, who has not reacted to Asprilla's comments, will be delighted by the return to fitness of Alan Shearer who came on as substitute and helped created Newcastle's winning goal against Bolton on Saturday.

But he knows Shearer needs a top quality striking partner and veteran Ian Rush and midfielders Robert Lee and Jon Dahl Tomasson are clearly not the answer so he will have to dip into the transfer market soon.

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