OUT-OF-FAVOUR Titus Bramble is convinced he will not be sat on the sidelines with Newcastle United for much longer.

The £5m centre-back has not started a game for the Magpies since the 2-0 defeat at home to Leeds on September 11.

And he was not even included among the substitutes for the clash with West Brom on Saturday.

But, refusing to be downbeat, Bramble believes he will soon be back in the thick of things with so many matches, both in the Premiership and in the Champions' League, just around the corner.

"When you come to a club like Newcastle you have to accept there is going to be competition for places," said Bramble, who is currently trying to force his way ahead of Nikos Dabizas and Andy O'Brien.

"That is part of the challenge you have to face.

"I'm not in the side at the moment, but I'm not going to sulk about it. I'm just going to get my head down and work hard, listen to what I'm told and try to develop my game as much as possible.

"We are in so many competitions this season that I know my chance will come again and when it does I will take it."

And Bramble, currently on international duty with the England Under-21s, admits that he is not the complete defender but he expects to make strides towards that while on Tyneside.

"The fact is I'm learning the whole time," he said. "Whether it is when I'm at Newcastle with Sir Bobby Robson or when I'm away with England Under-21s with David Platt.

"I know that I still have to learn a lot more and I'm sure I can do that at this club."

Bramble is expected to play some part in the Under-21s' European Championship qualifiers with Slovakia, on Saturday, and Macedonia, on Tuesday.

And the 21-year-old has been joined in Platt's squad by club teammates Jermaine Jenas and Shola Ameobi.

That triumvirate are just three of Newcastle's young guns to receive call-ups from their country of some sort.

And former Ipswich Town man Bramble believes it is a sign that the St James' Park club's future looks bright.

He said: "There is JJ, Shola and myself in the England Under-21 side and it is a great experience playing against foreign sides.

"We have as many players in the Under-21 side as any other Premiership side and then we have people like Craig Bellamy, Aaron Hughes, Hugo Viana, Kieron Dyer and Lomana LuaLua who are all 23 or younger playing for their full national teams.

"That clearly shows the potential at Newcastle, none of us have reached our peak yet."

Meanwhile, Newcastle's Worthington Cup clash with Everton at St James' Park has been arranged for November 6 at 7.45pm.

* Leeds midfielder Stephen McPhail has taken a swipe at former boss David O'Leary as he looks to make up for lost time with both club and country.

Following two years of misery, McPhail's career has been resurrected following the arrival of Terry Venables in the summer, and he is now looking forward to a positive future at Elland Road and with the Republic of Ireland.

Last season McPhail found himself out in the cold under O'Leary, despite returning from a long-standing Achilles injury, as the Irishman claimed there was no room in the Premiership for a passing midfielder like the 22-year-old.

When McPhail was loaned out to Millwall at the end of the campaign he thought his days at Leeds were numbered, and he contemplated leaving.

O'Leary's sacking three months ago prevented that, and with Venables now adopting a different tactical and playing approach, McPhail finds himself back in the first team, with his start at Aston Villa on Sunday his first in the league for almost two years.

McPhail is also hoping to be given a role with the Republic when they face Switzerland in a Euro 2004 qualifier at Lansdowne Road next Wednesday as he did not even make the bench for last month's 4-2 defeat in Russia.

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