Former Newcastle United captain Fabricio Coloccini has hailed the improvements at the club over the past 18 months.

Coloccini, who was at Newcastle when they were struggling near the foot of the Premier League, admits to being impressed by their upward trajectory.

When Eddie Howe took over less than two years ago, they were in relegation danger, while they will play Champions League football this season.

Speaking to Newcastle fan Callum Berry in Argentina, Coloccini said: "It's what the people deserve. They're so faithful, so loyal. They never deserved to suffer so much for all those years. It makes me really happy.

“Sometimes I would get a little worried at first, because when such powerful people arrive, you never really know how they are going to treat the club. At other teams, people have come, made big signings, and not been able to properly pay for them, and then they left the teams.

"They leave them to rot with loads of debt and unpaid contracts. But I think it's great how they're approaching it. They haven't gone wild and bought everyone and anyone for the sake of it.

“They have made good choices, signed the right players. They've spent money – you have to in order to compete nowadays – but not in crazy amounts, and now we're in the Champions League.

“It will be a great opportunity to build a new team, and move towards every Geordie's dream, which is to compete in the Champions League."