PETER Ramage put his meteoric rise to Newcastle's first team down to his fanatical rugby playing father.

The 21-year-old defender made his Magpies debut in the white-hot atmosphere of Old Trafford last Sunday, and passed the unenviable task of stopping the finest winger ever to grace the Premiership - Ryan Giggs - with flying colours.

Four days later manager Graeme Souness asked his young charge to have a go at halting Holland's Bolo Zenden and England starlet Stewart Downing in a tense North-East derby at St James' Park.

He could not have been handed a tougher test of his Premiership credentials. Ramage described his week as a 'whirlwind', it's hard to disagree.

"One week I'm hoping to get in the squad; the next week I'm hoping to get in the starting line-up, so it's been a funny old week.

"It was (a shock) to be honest. I was quietly confident that I could maybe get a sniff because we've had a lot of injuries recently and I thought I might get my chance over the coming weeks, and as it happens, I have.

"I knew I was playing against Man United on Saturday morning, the day before the game.

"I was nervous, but to be honest as we counted down to kick-off I was just getting more and more agitated waiting to get on the pitch and get it started. It was brilliant, brilliant.

"I've got my foot in. Hopefully I can keep it there and maybe save (the manager) a few pennies."

The Whitley Bay-based defender paid tribute to the calming influence of his father in keeping his feet on the ground.

Ian Ramage has no football credentials at all. His expertise lies with rugby where he is a Scottish rugby international referee.

Ramage senior used to play for Newcastle Gosforth Rugby Club - who have since become Newcastle Falcons in the Zurich Premiership - in his younger days before a neck injury forced him to retire in 1982.

"My dad's a top class international referee," said Ramage. "He's done countless international games all over the world.

"When I started playing football he ran one of the junior teams I played for along with one of the other lads' dads.

"He didn't pressure me into playing rugby because he was a top player himself. But he's encouraged me, as have the rest of my family, but my dad's been the main one.

"He knows what it's like to be in the professional game.

"He's seen it week in, week out with the rugby. Although it's a different ball game he knows the pressures players have to go through and things like that so he's been an enormous help.

"I tried to get to as many (of his games) as I could. I went last year when the Barbarians came to play England at Twickenham. I went down with him and met all the England players.

"I enjoy going. I love watching rugby and I love watching my dad. It's good to get away from football some time."

Usually footballers have little sympathy for the man in black, but in Ramage, not surprisingly, understands the pressures they are under too. He also admitted his father has handed him a valuable piece of advice.

" Aye, don't answer back," Ramage quipped.

Read more about Newcastle United FC here.