OLIVIER Bernard has spoken of his heartache at the thought of leaving Newcastle United - but warned the club he won't be forced into signing a new deal on the cheap.

The French full-back becomes a free agent next May, and the Magpies have five weeks to thrash out an improved contract with the 25-year-old before he is free to talk to other clubs.

And the former Lyon defender revealed that a number of clubs on the continent are chasing his signature who are willing to pay more than what he is asking from Newcastle.

"This is my club but sometimes you have to think about your own career," said Bernard, who signed on at St James Park back in October 2000.

"I am ambitious and so long as this club matches those ambitions, in an ideal world, I would want to stay here.

"It would break my heart to leave here because I love it, I love the people and I love the area.

"I am not being greedy. I believe I deserve more because I was one of the best players in the Newcastle side last season.

"I know there are clubs elsewhere where I could get even more money than I am asking for. They are ready to sign me.

"I can't say who those clubs are but they are abroad. I might have to leave here if things do not work out."

The two parties have been at loggerheads since the end of last season, with Bernard claiming that no offer has been made while Newcastle maintain a perfectly reasonable proposal is currently on the table.

Bernard is looking to more than double his present deal - believed to be around £10,000 per week - and expects an offer that recognises his place as a regular in the starting XI.

He said: "I believe in the chairman here. He is a good man and I hope he looks after me.

"Now I do not think I am in the top ten earners at this club. That can't be right. I just want to be paid what I'm worth and where I should be.

"I am 25 and should be approaching my peak. I want to have my best years at Newcastle.

"I want to stay here although I do not know if I will be here next season. I must do what is best for me."

Bernard, however, wants to concentrate on his football - starting with Thursday's UEFA Cup clash back in his homeland against Sochaux.

What he doesn't want is a repeat of the last time he played for Newcastle in France - Marseille dumping the Magpies out of last season's UEFA Cup at the semi-final stage.

"I have told my agent (David Njok) to sort everything out," said Bernard, who spent time on loan at Darlington in 2001.

"I do not want to be involved. I need to focus on my football.

"It is always good returning to your own country to play football but I hope it is better than last time.

"I was so excited about the Marseille game last year but it was a very bad experience, one of the worst I have had here.

"That was a very unhappy night for me and for Newcastle. I don't want to go through that again. It was awful and there must not be a repeat this time.

"Sochaux are a side who play good football. In a way they are like Marseille because there are not too many well known players but they have a lot of quality.

"This is a step up from our last two UEFA games. Sochaux and also Lisbon, like us, want to finish first.

"They will think they can beat us when maybe the two teams we have already played didn't think that."

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