Pardew has singled out Ben Arfa as being Newcastle's best player so far this season.
Alan Pardew: "He gives you an X-factor about your team.
"That's important at this level. I don't think there are many players with that X-factor, if I'm honest, but Hatem is one of them
"I've only ever worked with three or four players, as a manager, with that kind of ability, so I was keen to work with him.
"Hatem has been our best player this season.
"He's single-minded and focused about being a professional footballer and a lot of players could learn from him in terms of that. He's still a maverick, though, and that's the beauty of him.
"You never quite know what he's going to do. He gives you an X-factor about your team. That's important at this level.
"I don't think there are many players with that X-factor, if I'm honest, but Hatem is one of them.
"Fergie said to me that the two best trainers he ever had were Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo. That says it all.
"You have to manage every player slightly differently and experience sometimes helps.
"I'm not sure that when I first came into the game I would have coped quite as well with him. So experience has helped.
"When you have had Tevez and Mascherano, Zamora, Sheringham and Darren Bent - I've had some very good players in my camp - Hatem is right up there."
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