Dean Hoyle: "In managerial terms, I think Lee regards the Newcastle job as his Holy Grail because it's a fantastic club that pulls on the heart-strings of the supporters and Lee's one of them.
"I would love Lee to become the Newcastle manager and I would love to drive him to Newcastle for that job because it will mean he has been successful for me, although I don't want it to happen too early I can assure you.
"If he walked in there now it would be completely wrong because there's so much instability. He needs to prove his credentials with us, take us where we would like to be - the Championship - do things the right way along the way and then move on to the job on the right terms.
"But let's be fair - it won' t be just Newcastle who will be after him - there'll be a whole host of clubs. Lee will go to the very top. At 37, he's one of the youngest managers in the league and he's got years in front of him. If he took it too early it could set him back years."
"I wanted a young manager and, no disrespect, I didn't want to employ someone old enough to be my dad.
"At the interview stage, I personally wanted someone who left me feeling that I would want to play for them. Lee might have been a rookie but he ticked all the boxes, with enthusiasm, passion and technical nous, leaving me certain I'd want to play for him. That swung it.
"Lee likes to play fast, attacking football and for me that's reminiscent of the Newcastle days when he played under Kevin Keegan. They'd always do well at home but were a bag of spanners away. I'd put it all down to experience. I'm sure Lee will learn along the way.
"Above all, we want integrity and we want to do things the right way with honesty and open debate between us. Lee wants good, honest players. We want young players, not [those at] 29 or 30 for whom it's their last club on the gravy train. We want hungry players with something to prove."
NEWCASTLE UNITED 2009/10
SHAMROCK ROVERS 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 3 (S Taylor, Ameobi, Ranger)
Steve Harper, Habib Beye, Callum Morris, Fabricio Coloccini, Tamas Kadar, Wesley Ngo Baheng, Nicky Butt, Joey Barton, Damien Duff, Kevin Nolan, Nile Ranger
Subs: Jose Enrique, Danny Guthrie, Ryan Taylor, Alan Smith, Shola Ameobi, Steven Taylor, Frank Wiafe Danquah, Ole Soderberg, Ben Tozer, Kazenga LuaLua, Tim Krul, Ryan Donaldson
DARLINGTON 2 NEWCASTLE UTD 7 (Duff, Nolan, Gutierrez, S Taylor, Carroll, Ameobi 2)
Krul (Forster, 46); R Taylor, Beye (Coloccini, 46), S Taylor, Kadar (Enrique, 46); LuaLua (Guthrie, 46), Barton (Butt, 46), Nolan (Xisco, 59), Smith (Donaldson, 59), Duff (Gutierrez, 46); Ameobi (Carroll, 46).
HUDDERSFIELD 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Nolan)
Harper, Coloccini, Enrique (Donaldson 80), Barton (Smith 58), Guthrie (Tavernier 80), Gutierrez (Duff HT), Xisco (Ameobi HT), Beye (Kadar HT), Taylor S (Taylor R HT), Lua-Lua (Adjei 73), Carroll (Nolan 58).
ORIENT 6 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Barton pen)
Krul (Forster, 46); Beye (Tozer, 80), S Taylor (Lough, 80), Coloccini (Geremi, 46), Enrique (Kadar, 73); Gutierrez, Barton (Xisco, 46), Smith (Guthrie, 60), Duff (LuaLua, 73); Nolan; Martins (Carroll, 46).
NEWCASTLE UTD 0 LEEDS UTD 0
Harper, Beye, Bassong, S Taylor, Enrique, R Taylor, Smith, Barton, Gutierrez, Ameobi, Carroll Subs: Coloccini, Nolan, Xisco, LuaLua, Krul, Donaldson
DUNDEE UTD 1 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Carroll)
Harper; R Taylor, S Taylor, Kadar, Enrique; Gutierrez, Barton (LuaLua, 75), Smith, Duff (Geremi, 88); Nolan; Carroll.
WEST BROM 1 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Duff)
Harper (Krul 46), Ryan Taylor, Steven Taylor,Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Gutierrez, Smith, Nolan, Duff,Ameobi (Ranger 90), Carroll (Barton 75).
Subs Not Used: Xisco, Geremi, LuaLua, Kadar.
NEWCASTLE UTD 3 READING 0 (Ameobi 3, 1 pen)
Ryan Taylor, Steven Taylor, Coloccini,Jose Enrique, Nolan, Barton (LuaLua 82), Smith (Geremi 78),Gutierrez, Ameobi (Xisco 77), Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Kadar, Ranger, Donaldson.
NEWCASTLE 1 SHEFF WED 0 (Ameobi)
Harper, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini,Jose Enrique, Ryan Taylor (Guthrie 89), Nolan, Smith,Gutierrez, Ameobi (Ranger 87), Carroll (Xisco 58).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Geremi, LuaLua, Kadar.
CRYSTAL PALACE 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Nolan, R Taylor)
Harper, Simpson, Coloccini, Steven Taylor,Jose Enrique, Ryan Taylor (Butt 65), Nolan, Smith,Gutierrez (Geremi 89), Guthrie (Ranger 66), Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Xisco, LuaLua, Kadar.