Former Lille fullback Mathieu Debuchy knows he faces a major test settling in quickly at Newcastle United.

Debuchy will have little time to bed down given the Toon's dismal form.

"It has been a very difficult time for me over the last six months. But I have got here in the end and that's all that counts," he told the Sunday Sun.

"The Premier League is going to be a test in a sense for me because it's more physical than Ligue 1.

"The lads I already know at Newcastle have already told me about these demands.

"I will find all of this out for myself, but I've seen it from watching games on television, and I also know about the high quality of players in this league.

"I have watched a lot of the Premier League when back in France. So I know what to expect."