Brazilian soccer schools supremo Simon Clifford has confirmed talks with Kevin Keegan about a return to Newcastle United.

Lifelong Middlesbrough-fan Clifford, who enjoyed a brief stint as coach at Southampton under Clive Woodward's charge, would become director football at Newcastle if Jonathan Cleland's South African group took charge.

"Our number one priority is to return Kevin to the club and we had a very good meeting on Monday," he told Sky Sports News.

"I know there are other consortiums looking at the club as it is a terribly attractive proposition and I am under no illusion that Kevin may speak to them also but we did have a mutual interest in working together."