FREDDY Shepherd has assured Newcastle fans that the money from the £13.4m sale of Jonathan Woodgate will be spent on new players.

The Newcastle chairman admitted the decision to sell Woodgate to Real Madrid was his and his alone, saying the offer was just 'too good to turn down'.

Shepherd said: "Newcastle fans know that we have never been slow to spend our money at this club.

"Our recent record shows we can be trusted to deliver quality players. I'm not going to say too much at this stage but I think the fans will be pleasantly surprised at what results from the Woodgate deal.

"We didn't go into the Woodgate transfer without a long-term plan. All will be revealed soon."

Robert Huth and William Gallas of Chelse, Nottingham Forest's Michael Dawson and Rangers Jean-Alain Boumsong are among the players touted as replacements, but Newcastle have received no encouragement from any of their clubs.

A more likely addition is Cardiff City's Danny Gabbidon, with Craig Bellamy helping attract his fellow Wales international to Tyneside.

The Magpies will be working overtime to replace the new Real Madrid player, and his record on the injury list was also a factor in Shepherd's decision to accept the Spanish giant's bid.

"Jonathan is a great player but he's been dogged by injuries," said Shepherd.

"He's been unlucky in that respect but, as someone once said, there's no point having a Rolls-Royce if it spends most of its time in the garage.

"We hope Jonathan will get over his injury problems and go on to have a long and successful career with Real and England. But I won't pretend that his appearance record at Newcastle wasn't a factor in our decision to sell him.

"He hadn't played for us since April and was going to be out for at least another month. When I weighed up the pros and cons it was obvious we had to accept the offer."

Legendary Real Madrid defender Goyo Benito believes the arrival of Woodgate at the Bernabeu will help bring an avalanche of titles to Real.

Benito was a key player in the Madrid side that won six Primera Liga titles and the Copa del Rey four times during his 13 years at the club between 1969 and 1982, and he cannot wait to see the club's new signing make his debut.

Woodgate's contract was only signed after the player passed a strict three-and-a-half hour-long medical at Ruben International clinic - a venue the club tried to keep secret, in direct contrast to Michael Owen's medical a week earlier.

The former Newcastle star is set to be out for another month due to a thigh strain but that has not calmed Benito's excitement at having the chance to watch the first English centre-half to play for the Spanish giants.

''The fact he was an England international so young says a lot about him,'' said Benito.

''All you have to do is look at him - see his height and his strength. I know he is very good in the air, a good jumper and quick in the tackle.''

Woodgate will now form an alliance with Argentinian defender Walter Samuel, who cost £1m more than the Englishman when he joined Madrid from Roma in June.

''With the two players we have now, we are going to see a great Real Madrid,'' said Benito.

''We lacked security at the back and I think we are going to have it now.''

Woodgate was equally enthusiastic about playing for the nine-time European champions when he spoke at his official presentation to the media.

''I am a defender and I love defending and doing my job,'' he said.

''Raul, (Fernando) Morientes and Ronaldo have to score goals, but I have a different task and I hope to be able to do it well.''

Madrid may have ended last season empty-handed, but they are always going to be favourites to win at least one competition a year and this year, after spending about £37m to bring Woodgate, Samuel and Owen to the club, the expectations are high that there will be more than one celebration at the Bernabeu.

''I hope so, that's one of the reasons I came here. If I have come here it is because I have come to a side that can battle it out for all of the trophies and I hope to have some unforgettable experiences,'' Woodgate added.

''This is the culmination of the career of any footballer."

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