John Carver has denied claims that there was pressure placed on him to drop Jonas Gutierrez.

Gutierrez was unceremoniously dumped by the club after being diagnosed with cancer with the Argentine claiming he had been frozen out so the Magpies did not have trigger a contract extension clause.

However, former manager Carver has insisted to a tribunal in Birmingham that the decision was made purely for football reasons.

"My opinion was that Jonas should not be offered a new contract as there were better players available to take the club forward," he said of the 32-year-old midfielder who currently plays for Deportivo La Coruna.

"It tugged on the heartstrings to be honest, but it was a footballing decision. I wanted to take the club forward."

Carver added that the club itself never interfered with the way he ran his team.

"I am nobody's puppet. I wanted this job and was going to do it my way," he added.