STEVE BRUCE admits he is excited at the prospect of Newcastle United being taken over – and would love the chance to lead the club into a new era.

With the club on the verge of a £300m buyout of Mike Ashley – confirmation is expected soon as the Premier League complete their fit and proper persons test – Bruce and his squad have this week returned to training as part of the Premier League’s Project Restart.

And, while there has been no comment from the club on the proposed Saudi-led deal, Bruce admitted on Sky Sports News: "If it's good for Newcastle, and the club are going to try to compete with these teams, to be part of it would be great. I would love to see it and I'd love to be part of it.

"I hope it's where it goes, but in the meantime I'll just crack on, wait, roll my sleeves up and get on with trying to get some results to try and get the club going forward.

"If that happens for Newcastle in the future, then great - I'd be delighted. You do get labelled in the game, and that's why I enjoyed my time managing in the Championship. I'd back myself against most people in that division.’’

He added: "But to be in a position where you're actually challenging, and you have a good enough team as Newcastle did in 1995 and under Sir Bobby Robson as well, then it would be wonderful. I'd back myself, of course I would.

"Management, whether you're managing in the lower division or you're right at the top, it's about getting the best out of what you've got. And if you can do that, I'd back myself to have a crack at it. I'd be confident that I'd be able to do it.

"Whether that's ever going to be the case, who knows?"

Bruce had no additional update on the deal which has been engineered by Amanda Steveley which will see Ashley depart, adding: "I have a wonderful working relationship with Lee Charnley and he told me, 'when there's something to tell you, Steve, I'll tell you'.

"We've left it at that and gone back to work. I'm in the dark like most other people, and for that, I'm glad, really, because I can't comment on it. It's not worth talking about it as I really don't know."