JOELINTON declared his love for Newcastle United and Eddie Howe after putting pen-to-paper on a new long-term contract at St James' Park.

The Brazilian was due to move into the final 12 months of his deal this summer and had an agreement not been reached, United would have faced the prospect of having to cash in one of their star men.

Newcastle chiefs and Joelinton's representatives have been locked in talks for months and while an agreement looked some way off at various stages, a breakthrough was made in recent weeks and the Magpies have now finalised the four-year deal - to the delight of the midfielder and head coach Howe.

Joelinton said: "I feel great. I feel very happy and my family is happy. A lot of things have happened in my years here. I've learnt a lot and grown a lot, and for me to come here to Newcastle was the best decision of my career.

"I love playing for the club. I love the club, I love the fans. We had a lot of discussions and I always wanted to be here. I'm glad to continue and I hope to have success in the years to come."

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Howe added: "This has been a big priority for us off the pitch and I'm absolutely delighted Joelinton has committed his future to the club.

"Joey is an exceptional player and person, and the love he has for the club is reciprocated by all of us here. He brings unique qualities to the group and undoubtedly makes us stronger.

"I'd like to thank everyone involved behind the scenes for bringing this to a swift and positive conclusion. We are all excited to see Joelinton in a Newcastle shirt for many years to come."

Joelinton joined Newcastle from Hoffenheim in 2019 for a then-club record fee and endured a difficult start to life on Tyneside. But the 27-year-old was transformed after Howe's appointment and has established himself as one of Newcastle's most influential players, as well as breaking into the Brazil squad.

The midfielder, who has been sorely missed in the second half of the season after having surgery on a thigh injury, said: "Eddie is great. He's a great man. He's a great character. I love him as a person and a coach. Since day one he helped me a lot, he gave me the confidence to play and believe in myself. When I step on the pitch I want to give it back to him and give my best for the team, for him and the fans.

"The change of position has helped me and has helped my game. I played all my time in the academy as a striker, went to the first team as a striker, but I like to play in the middle. I participate more in the game, I have more of the ball and it suits me. Eddie saw that and gave me the opportunity to play there.

"Newcastle have always been a big club, playing in the best league in the world. To reach the Champions League was a great achievement but we want more. We want to come back and play in Europe - there are a lot of things I want to achieve here and I will give my best to do it."