Saturday 28 May 2016 09:35, UK
Former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd says current owner Mike Ashley has pulled off his "best bit of business" by convincing Rafa Benitez to stay at St James' Park.
Benitez replaced Steve McClaren in March, but was unable to stop the Magpies' slide out of the Premier League, winning just three of his 10 matches in charge.
The 56-year-old Spaniard insisted on having a break clause inserted into his contract when he joined the club, leading to speculation that he would leave following their relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.
But, on Thursday, Benitez agreed a new three-year deal to stay on as Newcastle manager and Shepherd believes it is a major coup for his old club.
"It has to go down as the best bit of business Mike Ashley has done since he took over. Mike has pulled a rabbit out of the hat by getting him to stay," Shepherd, who was Newcastle chairman from 1997 to 2007, told The Sun.
"It will go some way towards making up for some of the past mistakes. No one is perfect and Mike has made a few wrong turns along the way."
On Benitez, Shepherd added: "They needed someone like Rafa to organise things in the same way Chris Hughton did the last time we went down - and Rafa ticks all the boxes.
"He's got a great track record and he's got a terrific amount of experience and that will be perfect for the predicament Newcastle find themselves in."
