“That was my first club and the place really where I went from being a school kid to an adult. I grew up there, if you like.
There is more to that than football; my wife is from there and my oldest daughter was born there. It was my first club and of course I love it but I had good times at Fulham, too. There will always be a special connection to Newcastle. Even just driving down from Edinburgh for the day, there is a special feeling around the place.
“Kenny was a great manager. He always stuck up for his players. As a young lad, you gauge how senior players react to a manager and they liked him so I thought: ‘Well, he must know what he’s talking about.’ Sir Bobby Robson was huge for me. He gave me a real go at it, kept me in the team and showed confidence in me.
“Throughout my career I’ve never really been vocal. I’ve tried to get on with my work and do it as well as I can. Sometimes your actions are as good as anything you can say. I’m more comfortable with that than standing up and speaking.”