Former Newcastle midfielder wants focus on the academy and local area and does not expect superstar signings in a hurry
The takeover is all the fans want. They’ve been waiting 12 years to have a change of hands and they’ve been through a lot of rubbish under Mike Ashley – relegations, being bottom of the league, having average players playing for the club for a long time – and yet they still support Newcastle United.
There were still 52,000 turning up, even through the dark days when they got relegated. So they deserve changing fortunes. I’m trying to keep on an even keel about it, and I certainly don’t expect the owners to start signing Mbappé, Messi and Ronaldo because the club’s been in decline for so long. The infrastructure needs sorting out. The training ground is probably one of the worst in the Premier League, and although the club has a fantastic stadium it needs upgrading.