Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew is delighted with the progress of Shane Ferguson this season.

Pardew feels that the entire club has been lifted this season with news of stability and a fresh approach with every youngster at the Academy knowing they are genuinely in with a shout of first-team football.

He said: "Shane has given everybody from the Under-10s up a route to the first team.

"When we played the best team this year he played. So that route is there. But you have to be good enough and have the dedication.

"You got to have the coaches that are good enough and you have to recruit the best possible players. If you do those two things and have stability at a football club then the route gets easier.

"That's what we need to do, make the route easier by producing better players."