FORMER Newcastle United defender Didier Domi wants to bury the hatchet before he comes face to face with his former employers next weekend.

The Frenchman left Tyneside under a cloud after going AWOL, leaving Sir Bobby Robson with little choice but to sanction his £3m return to Paris Saint Germain in January 2001.

Domi, a Muslim, claimed he was driven out by the hatred of fans and an unsympathetic press, but the new Leeds loan star has now stated he wants to put the past behind him.

He said: "I want to make things clear about Newcastle, I've been a little bit crazy about this thing, I have no problems with Bobby Robson and the fans.

"Everyone knows I like Newcastle so there's no problem and I had a good time there.

"I wanted to go back to England and I am just happy to be given the chance now."

The 25-year-old is a likely starter when Newcastle travel to Elland Road next Sunday, in a match brimming with sub-plots.

Domi and his new manager, Peter Reid, are certain to face a hostile reception from the travelling fans, while the home crowd will 'welcome' back Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate.

Domi was brought to St. James' Park by former boss Ruud Gullit from PSG in 1999, and his undoubted talent made him an initial hit with the fans.

But in January 2001 he angered the club by refusing to return to Tyneside from Paris, which resulted in his transfer back to the French capital.

* Newcastle winger Brian Kerr has joined Livingston in a six-month loan deal. The 21-year-old right-sided player has seen his first-team chances reduced after the signing of Lee Bowyer and Darren Ambrose

* Birmingham's new signing Luciano Figueroa has set his sights on becoming Argentina's next scoring hero by producing the goods in the Barclaycard Premiership.

Figueroa has already been hailed as the new Gabriel Batistuta in Argentina after scoring 17 goals last season to top his country's scoring charts.

Batistuta and Hernan Crespo are the heroes of 22-year-old Figueroa, who has just started to break into the Argentina squad as a result of his exploits in front of goal.

And he knows his chances of becoming a regular for Argentina will improve if he shows the same sort of deadly finishing for Blues after joining on a five-year deal.

Figueroa, through an interpreter, said: ''I definitely believe that playing in the Premiership can help my international career.

''It is a very hard league and you are playing against very good players week in and week out. I have been in the last three Argentinian squads and you want to play for your country.

''When I was growing up Batistuta was my hero, along with Crespo. I always looked up to the two of them, although there is no comparison between myself and Batistuta. We have different styles. I am like a poacher.

''If I can do well in the Premiership then it will be good for me because it is a very competitive league."

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