HATEM Ben Arfa insists he has no intention of retiring, despite being forced to leave Nice.

Ben Arfa has been training with the French club after having his contract at Newcastle United terminated by mutual consent following an unsuccessful loan spell at Hull City.

The 27-year-old signed for the Ligue 1 club last month, but having played for the Magpies’ Under-21 side in August and for Hull in the Premier League, the midfielder is not allowed to play because of a FIFA regulation that prevents playing for three clubs in one season.

It leaves the former Lyon and Marseille man in limbo, but he has quashed suggestions he is about to hang up his boots.

“Of course I'm thinking about continuing,” Ben Arfa said. “I am not going to stop at this, that's not possible.

“I'm devastated, very sad, it really hurts - but I'm not going to quit. I'd be ready to go to the North Pole to play football.

“It's finished with Nice. I would like to thank everyone - the fans, the coach. They gave me a really warm welcome. It's a regret that I can't continue here, but sometimes life is like that and you have to accept decision.

Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote is expected to be fit for Ivory Coast’s African Cup of Nations semi-final against Congo DR this evening.

Tiote suffered an ankle injury in a Group D meeting with Mali and missed the final group match against Cameroon as well as the quarter-final against Algeria.

Davide Santon has been named in Inter Milan’s squad for their Coppa Italia match against Napoli tomorrow. Santon re-joined his former club on loan until the rest of the season on Monday and the San Siro club have the option to make the left-back’s move permanent in the summer.