REMY CABELLA has revealed that an intensive course of body-building helped turn him into a player ready for the physical demands of the Premier League.

The Newcastle United midfielder admits he struggled to handle himself in the months that followed his summer move from Montpellier, and former Magpies boss Alan Pardew appeared to have given up on him when he handed him just three league starts in the three months between the end of September and the turn of the year.

However, Cabella has been pounding the weights in the gym in an attempt to get his career back on track, and his increased bulk has coincided with comfortably his best spell in a Newcastle shirt.

Having impressed in last month’s defeats at Leicester and Chelsea, the 24-year-old scored his first Magpies goal in last weekend’s 3-0 win at Hull and has even been named alongside Lionel Messi and Diego Costa on the shortlist for ESPN’s Player of the Month for January.

“I do bodybuilding sometimes at the club, and I also work on it alone at home,” said Cabella, who will retain his place in the starting line-up when Newcastle entertain Stoke on Sunday. “I have gained eight pounds of muscle weight since I came to Newcastle.

“I feel a lot better. When I first arrived, I used to get knocked over more easily. I’ve needed time to adapt because everything has been new – the league and my team-mates.

“I’ve needed several months to get used to it all, and I think I’ll still need more time. But I know I will succeed. I have come to the Premier League to test myself against the best teams, and I know what I still have to do.”

Interim head coach John Carver has admitted he challenged Cabella to start producing on a more consistent basis when he replaced Pardew at the end of last month.

The France international appears to have responded positively to his new boss’ urgings, and highlights his eye-catching display at Stamford Bridge as a key turning point in his development.

“I came to England because I knew there was something missing (from my game), which I could find over here,” he said. “I needed a performance to spark me into life, and I think I got that when we beat Chelsea 2-0 last month.

“I’ve been on a good run since then and feel better all the time. My performance and goal against Hull have also done me good.”