"It has been a long period of recuperation and I've spent a lot of time watching the World Cup on TV.
"The Champions League will be the biggest stage I have ever played on and that only makes me more determined to perform well on it.
"Watching the World Cup over the past few weeks and seeing my Newcastle team-mates playing in it has just whetted my appetite for the new season with Newcastle.
"It is going to be a very exciting season at St James's Park and I know everyone concerned with the club is looking forward to taking Newcastle back into Europe and hopefully building on the success we had last time around."