Newcastle United boss Joe Kinnear has revealed he thought Mark Viduka would retire this season. The Aussie striker made his comeback as a second-half sub at Middlesbrough last weekend after six months out with an Achilles problem.

Kinnear admitted: "To be honest, we thought Viduka was finished and his injury was a lot more severe. But he seems to have made a miraculous recovery.

"He is a class act. If we can have him, Oba (Obafemi Martins) and Michael (Owen) fit and firing, we will have some great options."