Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew has explained the sale of Leon Best to Blackburn Rovers.

The Republic of Ireland striker's departure leaves United one man light in the striker department.

Pardew told the Evening Chronicle: "Leon did a great job for me.

"But the thing about Leon is that he needed regular first-team football."

And Pardew insists he could not guarantee the Nottingham-born centre-forward first-team action.

He said: "You can only play a role where you're in and out of the team for so long.

"I felt it was right for him, and everybody concerned, that he moved on."