Enrique set for Toon stay

Enrique: Set to stay

It's been the longest year of my life.

Jose Enrique
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Jose Enrique has revealed that he will stay at Newcastle United next season despite their relegation to the Championship.

The left-back has endured a difficult season on a personal level with the Spaniard struggling for form and fitness.

The 23-year-old has had to watch frustratedly from the sidelines for much of the season as the Magpies finally lost their battle against the drop after a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on the last day of the season.

But Enrique insists that he is prepared to honour his contract and stay at the club, for another season at least. although he did not fully rule out a move elsewhere if the right offer came about.

"No-one likes to play in the Championship but I'm only thinking about fulfilling my contract," he told Marca.

Create a team

"The team has a great budget and I am sure that if they do things well from the beginning, we can create a team of the level of Aston Villa.

"I like the city and I am very happy in England, but that doesn't rule out that I will study an offer that could arrive.

"Today, I see myself playing next season at Newcastle. At the moment, I'm focused on my holidays. It was a bad time for me and I need to relax. It's been the longest year of my life."

The former Villarreal defender admits that the demise of the Toon has hit him harder than he expected.

"I was filled with an immense desire to cry. Something like this has never happened to me, and I couldn't believe it," he added.

"I went home that day and I couldn't take in what had happened to us. I don't understand how a team like Newcastle and with top-level players that they can count on could have been relegated. I'm very down."

Having played under six different managers in close to two years in the North-East Enrique is confident that if the club stick with current boss Alan Shearer they can start to move forward.

Stability

"We have had four coaches this season, and there have been times when we haven't even had a coach," he pointed out.

"Things have been bad since the first moment but I hope everything will change for the best. I believe that with Alan Shearer on the bench this change is possible.

"If they leave Shearer in place, things will change for the better. He is a coach that can do something great for Newcastle, and they have to give him time.

"I think if they let him work on a long-term project, he can do something very good for this team."