Newcastle United legend Chris Waddle fears for the Magpies and Sunderland.

The former England World Cup star still rates their rivalry among the fiercest in football.

But he told the Daily Star: "I'd love to be proved wrong but I can't see a time when the two of them are up there challenging for honours.

"It's becoming increasingly hard for Newcastle and Sunderland to attract the best players for geographical reasons as much as any other.

"And I'm afraid that will continue.

"If you offered fans of both clubs top flight derbies for the next 10 years, I'm sure they'd bite your hands off, especially Sunderland followers, who've had to put up with relegation battles almost every season.

"The brutal truth is that you'd probably have to wait for an FA Cup semi-final or final for a Tyne-Wear derby to really mean something.

"And by that, I mean a game with plenty at stake for both clubs, which captures the imagination of the whole country."