Nottingham Forest have made an approach to Newcastle for winger Wayne Routledge.

New Forest boss Steve McClaren is keen to add the 26-year-old midfielder to his squad for next season's npower Championship promotion push.

Routledge, who played a significant role in the Magpies' return to the Premier League after joining the club from QPR for an undisclosed fee in January last year, spent the second half of the last campaign on loan back at Loftus Road.

He was expected to make a permanent return to Rangers, but was unable to agree a deal, and now Forest have stepped in to try to lure him to the City Ground.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is relishing the chance to lead his side into action from the start of the season.

After his players returned to training yesterday, he admitted: "For me, it makes a massive difference for a manager to be in charge at the start of the season. It is unlike coming in mid-season, like I did last year.

"I can tweak the way we play from here on in, add discipline to our shape and see how the players respond.

"It is very much going to be about how we play this season. We believe we can have a successful season and move forward.

"Last season was very much about stability and making sure we stayed in the division.

"This year will be about getting a reputation and moving forward in the right direction as a football club."

• Tottenham have confirmed injury-plagued defender Jonathan Woodgate has left the club.

Woodgate joined Spurs in January 2008 from Middlesbrough but has been limited to just 65 appearances due to several serious injuries.

The former Real Madrid man has been dogged by back and leg injuries since his days at Newcastle and his latest setback - a groin problem - meant he was only able to play one game in the last 15 months.

Because of his injury problems, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp was only willing to offer the 31-year-old a pay-as-you-play deal, despite rating him as one of the best English defenders of his generation.

Those talks have collapsed and Woodgate has been released from his contract and is now a free agent. The centre-half, who has eight England caps, has been linked with a moves QPR, Stoke and former club Leeds.

Young striker Jonathan Obika, defender Adam Smith and ex-Sunderland goalkeeper Ben Alnwick have all signed contract extensions at White Hart Lane.