Former Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce has painted himself as a victim this week.

The ex-Manchester United captain and defender was given the boot by the Magpies after the Saudi Arabia-backed takeover in 2021.

Bruce had been in charge at St. James' Park from July 2019 to October 2021, and felt he was not given a fair shake at succeeding in the post.

On talkSPORT, Bruce said: "Look, I managed Newcastle for two-and-a-half years.

"And it wasn't easy, the pandemic going on as well, that didn't help either, but it was a different Newcastle to what it is today.

"I think finishing 12th and 13th, you did your job, as Newcastle then, the remit was, 'Keep Newcastle in the Premier League.'"

He later added: "I absolutely adored the job, I loved coming to work even though it was during Covid, it was difficult, and I just think I was the victim.

"It's a bit like when I managed Sunderland, I said, 'In ten years' time they will look back and think that fella did an all right job'.

"My remit was, I had just got in after Rafa [Rafael Benitez] who finished 12th, we lost [Aleksandar] Mitrovic [to Fulham] and [Ayoze Perez] who went to Leicester.

"So we lost the two strikers and the remit was to just keep Newcastle [in the league]. We weren't a great watch, I understand that, too.

"[Newcastle today] are full of life - we didn't have a team to play like that and I knew that's what the fans wanted, but we didn't have a team.

"I would like to think we were very well organized, difficult to beat and play against.

"I really enjoyed it, it became tough, of course, but I think I was the victim of the whole club at the time were desperate for the takeover.

"We talk about FFP, the club would never be in any distress under Mike Ashley.

"It was a greatly run club under Mike, and I know I'm going to get slaughtered for that, but it was.

"The big thing is, we never had a lot of money to spent, we would spend exactly what the club generated and of course that was never going to be enough to be successful."