STEVE BRUCE is determined to do all he can to persuade Newcastle United’s new owners to retain him in his role – and has “not given up hope” of holding on to the manager’s job on a long-term basis.

Bruce will preside over his 1,000th game in management when Tottenham visit St James’ Park tomorrow, with new director Amanda Staveley, who has assumed responsibility for the day-to-day running of the club in the wake of last week’s takeover, having issued a statement yesterday in which she confirmed there would not be a change of manager before the weekend.

Staveley did not make any assurances beyond that point, suggesting tomorrow’s game could well be Bruce’s final match in charge of his hometown club.

A host of potential candidates have been linked with a possible move to St James’ Park, but while he accepts there is every chance the new regime could decide to bring in their own boss, Bruce will be doing all he can to persuade Staveley, Jamie Reuben and the Saudi Arabian PIF that he deserves a chance to be part of the new dawn.

“I’ll have a crack (at persuading them),” said Bruce. “I’ll try my utmost, and if they see fit (to keep him on), then great. Who wouldn’t want this opportunity now? Any manager would love this opportunity and love to be sitting in my chair. I’ll make a fist of it, try my utmost, and as always, try my best and do what’s best for the club.

“Who wouldn’t want to try? I’m not going to give up the hope of it. Who wouldn’t want this job now, going forward, the way it is and the way it looks in the future? Who wouldn’t want the opportunity to manage Newcastle? Certainly, I would and I’m sure there’s hundreds who would want to do the same thing. It’s exciting times ahead for the club, that’s for sure.”

For most of this week, it looked as though Bruce would be moved aside with Graeme Jones stepping up to assume caretaker control until a more permanent replacement was appointed.

Instead, with Mike Ashley’s successors still feeling their way into their new roles, and the chain of command between Staveley and Reuben on Tyneside and Saudi-based PIF boss Yasir al-Rumayyan still somewhat up in the air, it has been decided to stick with the status quo for at least another weekend.

“We have had an extremely busy week reviewing the business and getting to know people and it is imperative that we continue to be patient and considered in our approach,” said Staveley. “Change does not always happen overnight, it demands time and that we follow a carefully considered plan and strategy.

“Steve has been very professional in our dealings with him and he and his coaching team will take the team on Sunday. If we make any changes going forward, Steve will be the first to know but, in the meantime, we wish him the best of luck in his 1,000th match as a manager and will be joining you in getting right behind the team.”

While Bruce has confirmed his desire to lead Newcastle into their new era, a number of other managers spent yesterday attempting to dodge questions about whether they too might be interested in inhabiting the manager’s chair at St James’ Park.

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has been touted as a leading contender to replace Bruce, and the former England international was somewhat non-committal when asked a direct question about his potential interest in the Newcastle job.

“I don’t really react or get involved in any kind of speculation,” said Gerrard. “Especially when there is someone who I have the utmost respect for sitting in that job that the speculation is about.

“For me, I am in a very big job here that I am fully focused on, and we have a top-of-the-table clash at the weekend and it is a game I am very much looking forward to. But I certainly have one eye on Newcastle in terms of Brucie getting his 1,000th game, a great character of the game, someone whom I have a personal relationship with and the utmost respect for.”

Brendan Rodgers was more decisive, with the Leicester boss effectively ruling himself out of the running on Tyneside.

“I have got a contract until 2025, I absolutely love being here,” he said. “I’m very fortunate. I’ve got a great chief executive and a director of football who I have a close relationship with and a group of players that I really, really enjoy working with.

“We have an infrastructure here that allows us to look to compete, so as long as they don’t want to move me then I’m very happy being here at the club. I’ve seen all the reports around it, but of course it doesn’t help anyone, particularly Newcastle and Steve.”