HAVING already tasted Champions League football at Lille, Yohan Cabaye has ambitions to play European football again and the Frenchman believes he is in the right place to achieve that at Newcastle United.

In the seven years Cabaye spent as a professional at hometown club Lille, five of those included Europa League or Champions League football.

The 26-year-old has enjoyed an impressive first season in the Premier League since arriving in a deal worth £4.5million last summer and has been a key contributor to Newcastle's rise up the table.

After three consecutive wins the Magpies sit joint fifth with Chelsea, ten points ahead of their nearest rivals Everton in seventh and a return to European football next season has become a serious possibility.

There is no doubt Cabaye has caught the eye of many in his first season in English football, but the French international insists he is in the right place to achieve his aims.

"My goal is to play in Europe again - either the Europa League or Champions League," Cabaye said.

"Newcastle United is on a good way to get that, so I don't really want to change where I am if I can achieve that here.

"I would like to play in both Europa League and Champions League - Champions League will be more difficult, but there are seven games, you never know. I would just like to play in Europe.

"My other aim is to play in the European Championships with France, which I can do if I'm playing here.

"I managed to play in the Champions League with my home town Lille, but it is the same situation here. We need to build a big team - if each year someone else leaves the club it's going to be difficult. It is really, really important to keep the players to build a big team.

"I love playing in England, I'm thankful to Newcastle United for giving me the chance to play here. My family feel good here and I would like to stay here for a long time."

The Frenchman's seamless transition in to English football has helped his young family settle on Tyneside and he is enjoying life in the North-East so much, he admits he has already recommended Newcastle to his old team mates in France.

He said: "I told my friend (Mathieu) Debuchy (France right-back) he should come here. He said he would love to come to England and Newcastle. He would like to come here!

"Newcastle now has a big reputation in France. When we play, French TV now shows Newcastle games. They try to show every game and support them."

Ahead of Newcastle's visit to Swansea City today, Pardew revealed he was interested in signing Danny Graham prior to his move to the Liberty Stadium.

Gateshead-born Graham, who joined Swansea after completing a £3.5million summer move from Championship outfit Watford, had to wait almost two months for his maiden top flight goal, but he now has 12 goals to his name this season.

That summer, Pardew was in the market for a striker following Andy Carroll's departure to Liverpool at the start of 2011 and the Magpies boss admits Graham was on his radar.

However, it is understood the Newcastle board were put off by the £3.5m price tag Watford were asking for the former Middlesbrough trainee and although he missed out on him then, Pardew admits Graham would be welcome at Newcastle in the future.

"Malky Mackay said to me we should really look at him seriously, but we just ran out of time, this was when he was at Watford. We ran out of time in terms of doing the homework we needed to do," Pardew said.

"I really like him. He's got a good manner about him, sharp and he's had a great season. I like him, he can come back any time he likes."

"I was given a big shout about him by Malky Mackay, who's a friend of mine and is now the manager of Cardiff. I wish I'd taken him up on it because he's had a good season."

Instead, the Magpies opted to sign Demba Ba on a free transfer and with 16 goals to his name, that decision has been more than justified.

But having gone seven games without a goal recently, Pardew admits his top goalscorer is champing at the bit to get his name on the scoresheet again.

He said: "It will be a concern if it carries on (Ba not scoring), he isn't going to be happy if he's not scoring goals.

"That's just the nature of the beast. He's a goalscorer. So Papiss is getting all the credit and getting all the goals isn't going to keep him happy. I hope he gets angry on Friday and slaps in a couple himself."

Newcastle: Krul; Simpson, Williamson, Perch, R Taylor; Ben Arfa, Tiote, Cabaye, Gutierrez; Ba, Cisse.