Former Town midfielder Kieron Dyer is close to signing a new contract at Newcastle United. Part of the deal which saw Dyer leave Portman Road for Newcastle in 1999 was a sell-on clause which would see the Blues get a percentage of any profit the Magpies make should the England player move on.

Dyer said of the new deal: "The contract talks have gone extremely well and chairman Freddy Shepherd even put in his programme notes that he expects it to be tied up before the World Cup. I would love this to be the case.

"I want to be spoken of as part of the team which finally brought the league title back here - if not next season, then over the next two or three seasons.

"I want to stay here long term. And, of course, this club is big enough to keep me here.

"Every footballer in the world knows who Bobby Robson and Alan Shearer are. That in itself is a great motivation for players to come here.

"If you look at the manager's CV and what Alan has achieved, then you can attract top-class players."

Dyer has been constantly linked with moves away from St James' Park over the last year or so with Manchester United and Leeds both reported to be interested in him on numerous occasions. However Dyer says he has never wanted to leave Tyneside: "Not once have I said I want to leave this club. Last summer I received a lot of criticism - which I believe was unfair - because I came out and said I was ambitious and wanted to know what the club's stance was.

"But not once have I said I wanted to leave and to have people saying I wasn't loyal, that I was planning to go here and there, was quite upsetting.

"Hopefully, as soon as I sign this new contract, that will be the end of it."

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