Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez admits he was close to taking the West Ham job in the past.

Benitez, who faces West Ham on Saturday with Manuel Pellegrini in the opposition dug-out, has now explained how he came within a phone call of joining the east Londoners in May 2015.

“It (West Ham) was one of the options. That is why people talk about me and West Ham," he said.

“The question with West Ham was when I was in Napoli.

“Then I got a phone call off Real Madrid. At this time I was interested. I do not have anything I can say about this or that (from May, when West Ham were said to interested again)."