Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor hopes they can keep hold of Fabricio Coloccini.

Taylor has begged his back-four pal to stay on Tyneside.

He said: "The lads love playing with Colo and we all hope he stays. He's a very quiet guy, but when he speaks, he speaks very well.

"He's been a great guy in training. You can learn a lot from him. He's very composed, and he's not shy of a tackle as well.

"Colo and I have had a great partnership over the past few seasons. We have a good understanding. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses. We seem to be able to mix it up.

"I've got a fantastic partnership with him, and hopefully that will continue."