Best is fighting with Peter Løvenkrands, Sammy and Shola Ameobi and Demba Ba for two places in the team ... but he believes he can score 20 goals this season ... if he is given the chance.
Leon Best: “It was a little bit of an uncertain summer at the start of it.
“But to be honest, when deadline day came I didn’t even watch the coverage. I played Call of Duty instead because either way, I knew where I was going to be.
“I know my job, if a new striker comes in I believe in healthy competition.
"All the top teams have many strikers and if you’re not doing your job another one comes in and takes you place.
"But when it was all done and dusted we’ve got the same number we had last season, so obviously I’ve got a much better chance now, especially with the manager looking to play two strikers.
"If I’m scoring you can’t take somebody out of the team so it’s definitely down to me now.
“I didn’t really fear my career was losing its way but I’ve feared not being given the right opportunity – I feared I wasn’t going to be given a chance to achieve what I wanted to achieve.
“Whatever club I’ve been at, whether Southampton or Coventry, I never felt like I was the man.
"Like the manager has said, I’ve always been in and out of the team, either through form injuries or not scoring.
"This is the first time in my life I’m scoring and feeling good and I’m in the Premier League.
“I feel very good at the minute.
“Can I get 20 is the big question. I hope I can do that.
“With no new striker brought in, now I’ve been scoring, people might be looking at me thinking I should be doing that.
“I had the first chance last year and he has brought in new players but he still gives me a chance.
"I’ve got to take it now. When I first came here I came from the Championship, I wasn’t a massive signing and I wasn’t proven. The fans took to me and they maybe weren’t expecting 15-20 goals a season.
“I’ve been in that position most of my career, the only way I can prove myself is scoring goals. I can handle that.”
“I know I’m still unproven, I’ve started only 11 games in the Premier League, I’ve got to keep fit and play as many games and score as many goals.
“But I believe this league is better for me. I love every minute of playing in it and when you score it’s the best feeling.
“I just tend to look at my goals per game ratio. That’s been the case my whole career.
"Everyone told me, keep scoring, right back to when I was a young kid.
"As a striker it’s about scoring goals, I believe I’m a Premier League player.
“The manager was saying if we beat QPR it would be best start for 15 years, which given some of the players who’ve come in and out of the club is a massive achievement.
“I think we’ve also conceded the least goals, as long as we keep clean sheets it’s down to us to get the goals – and that is what I have to help us to do.”
NEXT NEWCASTLE UTD MATCH:
ASTON VILLA v TOON
Saturday September 12th KO 8pm
NEWCASTLE (from): Krul, Harper, Simpson, R. Taylor, Ferguson, Coloccini, S. Taylor, Tiote, Cabaye, Gutierrez, Marveaux, Obertan, Gosling, Guthrie, Smith, Ba, Shola Ameobi, Lovenkrands, Best, Sammy Ameobi.
Newcastle full-back Davide Santon could be out of action for a month after suffering a cartilage injury which will require minor surgery.The 20-year-old former Inter Milan defender will miss out on a chance to make his senior debut for the club at Aston Villa on Saturday, and utility man Ryan Taylor is likely to continue in what has been a problem position for manager Alan Pardew since Jose Enrique's summer departure for Liverpool.
Hatem Ben Arfa is back in training after his ankle injury but is unlikely to be risked at the weekend, although he could make the squad for Tuesday night's Carling Cup trip to Nottingham Forest, while Haris Vuckic (broken hand), Mehdi Abeid and Mike Williamson (broken arm) remain on the casualty list.
ASTON VILLA (from): Given, Guzan, Hutton, Herd, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, N'Zogbia, Petrov, Bannan, Delph, Petrov, Ireland, Albrighton, Bent, Agbonlahor, Delfouneso.
Aston Villa will be without Emile Heskey and Jermaine Jenas.
Heskey looks set to be out for two to three weeks with a pulled hamstring, while on-loan Tottenham midfielder Jenas also misses out this weekend after suffering a thigh injury in training.
Eric Lichaj is expected to be sidelined for three to four months after undergoing a hip operation. Fellow defender Carlos Cuellar is recovering well from a knee problem but lacks match fitness.
Saturday 17th September 2011
Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal 12:45
Aston Villa v Newcastle United 15:00
Bolton Wanderers v Norwich City 15:00
Everton v Wigan Athletic 15:00
Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion 15:00
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Queens Park Rangers 15:00
Sunday 18th September 2011
Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool 13:30
Fulham v Manchester City 15:00
Sunderland v Stoke City 15:00
Manchester United v Chelsea 16:00
MAGPIES IN EUROPE
£9.99 Available From:
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE
M&M News; 140 Northumberland St.
One Stop News; 44 Blackett St.
Blackwell Bookshop; 141 Percy St.
The Back Page; 56 St Andrews St.
CHESTER-LE-STREET
The Bookcase; 131 Front St
NEWCASTLE UNITED 20011/12
PREMIER LEAGUE
QPR 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Obertan (Sammy Ameobi 88), Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez, Best (Marveaux 82), Shola Ameobi (Ba 64).
Subs Not Used: Elliot, Santon, Guthrie, Lovenkrands.
NEWCASTLE 2 FULHAM 1 (Best 2)
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Lovenkrands (Ba 62), Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez, Obertan, Best (Vuckic 78), Vuckic (Smith 85).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi, Ferguson.
SUNDERLAND 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (R Taylor)
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Tiote, Cabaye (Williamson 85), Barton, Obertan (Gosling 85), Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Lovenkrands, Ba, Best, Marveaux.
NEWCASTLE 0 ARSENAL 0
Krul, Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Ryan Taylor, Simpson, Barton, Cabaye (Lovenkrands 81), Tiote, Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi (Best 73), Ba (Obertan 46).
Subs Not Used: Forster, Williamson, Gosling, Sammy Ameobi.
CARLING CUP
SCUNTHORPE 1 NEWCASTLE 2 AET (R Taylor, Sammy Ameobi)
Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson (Steven Taylor 45), Ryan Taylor, Marveaux, Gosling (Vuckic 70), Cabaye, Lovenkrands, Best, Ba (Sammy Ameobi 65).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Abeid, Smith, Ferguson.
PRE-SEASON FIXTURES
NEWCASTLE 0 FIORENTINA 0
(Ab 63 mins)
Krul (Forster 46), Simpson, S Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique, Gosling (Ba 46), Cabaye, Vuckic, Jonas (Marveaux 46) Lovenkrands (R Taylor 61), Best (Shola Ameobi 46).Subs: Sammy Ameobi, Ranger, Tavernier, Williamson.
LEEDS UTD 3 NEWCASTLE 2 (S.Taylor, Vuckic)
Forster, Cabaye, Williamson, Barton, Simpson, Gosling, Gutierrez, Ba, Shola Ameobi, Taylor, Tavernier. Subs: Krul, Taylor, Best, Vuckic, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett.
COLUMBUS CREW 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Ameobi, Coloccini, Vuckic)
Harper; Tavernier, S Taylor, Coloccini (Dummett, 54), Enrique; Gutierrez (Abeid, 85), Tiote (Smith, 62), Gosling, Marveaux (Vuckic, 76); Ameobi (Best, 75), Ba. Subs not used: Forster, Krul.
ORLANDO CITY 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Forster; R Taylor (Enrique, 26), S Taylor, Coloccini, Tavernier; Gosling (Vuckic, 71), Smith (Abeid, 74), Tiote, Gutierrez; Best (Ba, 74), Lovenkrands (Ameobi, 74). Subs not used: Krul, Harper.
SPORTING KANSAS 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Gosling, Coloccini, S Taylor, R Taylor, Marveaux (Tavernier 46), Tiote (Abeid 46), Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Ba (Best 72), Lovenkrands (Smith 46).
DARLINGTON 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Barton, Sammy Ameobi)
Forster; Simpson (Dummett), S Taylor (Tavernier), Williamson (Henderson), Ferguson (R Taylor); Barton (Abeid), Guthrie (Cabaye, Donaldson), Smith (Gosling), Vuckic (Sammy Ameobi); Ben Arfa (Richardson), Best (Ranger). Subs not used: Soderberg, Newton.