Newcastle defender Coloccini stunned by relegation threat

Fabricio Coloccini admits he never expected a relegation battle when first signing for Newcastle United last summer.

The Argentine defender said: “When I joined, I never thought they were in danger of relegation, having to win their last two home games to stand a chance of staying up.

“I was sold a club that would challenge in the top half with a good chance of doing well in the cups.

“But the reality is we’re in the relegation zone and have to fight to get out of it. We must show we’re ready to fight to stay up.”

Coloccini, 27, started well at St James’ Park but his form dipped so much Alan Shearer’s first managerial call was to axe him for last month’s trip to Stoke.

He said: “Alan left me out and I had to accept it. I just had to work hard to get back into the team. The boss feels the pain more than anyone as he has been at Newcastle for so long. He was brought up here and is a fan.

“He wants us to be feeling like the fans are feeling. He wants us to share his passion and know how vital these games are.”