Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce is delighted his gamble on Claudio Cacapa has proved correct.

Big Sam told the Evening Chronicle: "Cacapa has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water. You can't beat experience and a player like him from Brazil, who has played across the world of football in his lifetime, is fantastic.

"He's just breezed into the Premier League like he's never been anywhere else, and that comes out of experience and from being a very intelligent footballer. This man knows where to stand and knows how to stand there before anyone else on the park.

"In fact, he can work his way into positions that other people have to run into. That's how far ahead he thinks. He never leaves himself exposed because he's always in the right starting position. That's why he looks so comfortable, and I'm so pleased to have him here.

"When we signed Cacapa, it was Claudio who? That's born out of the ignorance of this country. This lad has had five years at Lyon - and they were five years where he was captain and they won the title.

"To go with it, that's five years of Champions League football. It just shows the quality of the player that he is. We were the first to get in there with one of our scouts.

"We brought up the situation and I knew a little bit about him myself. We did a bit of checking, invited him over and he flew past every test we put in front of him. He could be a terrific boost this season.

"We captured him on a free transfer because he didn't want to stay at Lyon any longer due to his will to have a new challenge in the Premier League."