Pardew blanks England: Newcastle players need to know I'm staying

Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew wants to assure his players he's there for the long haul.

Pardew was mocked in some quarters for ruling himself out of the England running.

But he explained: “You can never determine your ­future, because the club has a say in that as well, but my focus is very much here.

“And I think it’s important to say that because there will be speculation.

“That can be very damaging to the players and staff here, so I want to make it very clear to them that I’m staying.

“The most important thing about our jobs is that you’ve got to feel ­comfortable in the position as ­manager, and I do feel comfortable here.

“Comfortable in these surroundings and with the fans and board, in ­particular. It seems to be working well at the moment.

“That’s the environment you look for as a manager.”