STEVE McCLAREN has dismissed continued speculation about Cheick Tiote’s commitment to the cause at Newcastle United, and claimed the midfielder is gradually returning to his best.

Tiote’s role in the Magpies’ dressing room was questioned in September when Sky Television’s Sunday Supplement described him as a “bad egg” and hinted there were serious issues relating to squad morale.

At the time, Tiote was not in the starting line-up, but the Ivory Coast international returned to the team for the 6-2 win over Norwich City and has cemented his role in the absence of Jack Colback, who is not expected to return from injury until next month at the earliest.

His second-half performance at Bournemouth represented his best 45 minutes of the season so far, and having consistently laughed off criticism of Tiote’s conduct, McClaren is delighted to see the 29-year-old showing glimpses of his best form.

The pair worked together at Dutch club FC Twente, and McClaren continues to regard the Ivorian as one of the most talented defensive midfielders in the top-flight.

“Three or four weeks ago, I was hearing that Cheicky is supposedly ‘poison in the dressing room’,” said McClaren. “I laughed when I saw it.

“He’s the least poisonous player you can imagine. No one has ever got a bigger smile on their face – he just wants to play.

“The staff don’t know him that well, but I know him. They came to me the other day and said, ‘My God, how hard does he work in training?’

“Honestly, you watch him and he is everywhere. He’s 29, but I had him when he was younger when he was a kid, and what he was doing then, ‘Wow!’ He’s starting to get somewhere back towards that level now.”

Tiote’s commitment was called into question most when he was out of the starting line-up, and similar criticisms are currently being levelled at Papiss Cisse, who has not started a Premier League game since the middle of September.

Cisse is understandably frustrated at his lack of involvement this season, but McClaren would not expect anything different from the Senegalese striker and maintains he does not have a problem with the 30-year-old’s attitude either.

“Cheick’s never been one ounce of trouble,” said McClaren, “Papiss? He’s never been one ounce of trouble either - never been.

“There was all this stuff about them being late and everything, but not at all. That’s what annoys me because we have no real issues (in the camp). We’ve just got a little bit of hangover from the past.”

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri conducted his pre-match press conference yesterday, and confirmed Jamie Vardy remains touch-and-go as he attempts to equal Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in ten consecutive Premier League matches.

Vardy, who is struggling with the hip injury that forced him to withdraw from international duty with England, will be given every chance to prove his fitness ahead of tomorrow’s game on Tyneside, but Ranieri will not be taking any risks with the striker.

It has been suggested that Vardy could have pain-killing injections in order to feature, but Ranieri insists he is not prepared to do anything that could result in a more serious problem further down the line.

“He trained a little (yesterday), and (today) I hope he can continue to train,” he said. “Maybe on Saturday morning, I’ll choose. If he is fit, he plays because every time he wants to play.

“I hope he is available. I speak with the doctor and the physio – if they tell me he is okay and 100 per cent, he plays.

“But if not, I don’t want to risk a player – not just Jamie. In all my career, I don’t want to risk a player for a match and then lose them for a month.”