Newcastle Jets striker Michael Bridges is banking on his hometown club to achieve promotion back to the English Premier League this season.

The 31-year old Geordie is back in Newcastle, the UK version, and was on hand to see Newcastle United defeat Nottingham Forest 2-0 at St James' Park on Monday and is confident the Magpies will make the quantum leap back into the top flight just a year after being sent to the Championship with their tail between their legs.

Bridges, who enjoyed a six-month loan spell with the club back in 2004, has experienced relegation with Sunderland and Leeds United and felt for the Magpies when they went down last term but can see some success on the horizon.

"Newcastle will be promoted, champions or not," Bridges told chroniclelive.co.uk.

"You could tell what it meant by Chris Hughton's reaction - I like to see a manager show some passion.

"When we got relegated at Sunderland, I'll never forget Kevin Ball telling the boys that next season, we would be promoted.

"It was totally different at Leeds - everybody wanted to go here, there and everywhere when they went down. The squad was absolutely decimated.

"But Newcastle kept most of their players. The boys stuck together, and Chris Hughton has done a massive "The players deserve credit, but so does the manager - he's been an absolute revelation. The manager had everything in place, but he's had to keep the players happy.

"It's not a nice dressing room when you get relegated - you think it's the end of the world. When pre-season comes, it's about how the manager gets the lads smiling and working.

"Some questioned his signings, but they've produced in this league. First and foremost, the job was to get out of this division.

"Obviously, I hope they go on and re-establish themselves in the Premier League, which is where they belong."