Beye 'I Turned Down Champions League For Toon!'

"Of course, we must win games - and win all our games at home.

"But I think we can finish in the top four in the Premiership. The coach here is one of the best in Europe and he should be in the Champions League.

"It was important for me to play in the Premiership - Middlesbrough wanted me a few years ago - and I was even more certain of that after I had spoken to Sam.

"I had contact with him early in the summer but I had a contract with Marseilles and it was difficult for me to leave because I was captain and we were in the Champions League.

"But I spoke to Sam again. He said: 'I want you to come to Newcastle - you can be a very big player for me.'

"Then I spoke with the club owner and my manager and I said I wanted to go to Newcastle because I'd played for Marseilles for four years, given my best for the club and, for me, it was better to go and test myself in an English team and in the Premiership.

"Sam also wanted me when he was at Bolton. It was very important for me that he had confidence in me.

"I had an offer to go to a big Spanish club, but the football there is too slow for me."