Mo Diame was delighted to see action in Newcastle United's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.

With Ayoze Pérez having been Benítez's first choice in an attacking midfield role so far this season, Diamé has had to wait for his chance to impress from the start.

But the 30-year-old played his part in the win over Palace after his 66th-minute introduction and almost scored himself, forcing a save from Julian Speroni with a curling effort.

“It was a good feeling. I didn't come on last game, and the game before only for a few minutes, so I was happy today to come on earlier and I tried to help the team, and be ready when the manager needs me," he said.

“I'm just going to keep training hard and working hard to make sure that I get more minutes, and that's it – it's the way we have to be. I think it's just about keeping going and staying fit for the team."