Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has admitted that he is impressed by Demba Ba's desire to stay at the club.

The Senegalese striker has been linked with a number of teams in recent months after it was revealed that he has a £7m buy-out clause in his contract.

However, Ba recently insisted that such rumours should be dismissed and that he was happy on Tyneside.

"He's always had the same feeling for the club," said Pardew. "I think he understands that the fans love him here.

"He wants to repay that. By the same token we all have to make sure that everybody is happy here."

Ba, who scored 16 goals for the Magpies last season, moved to the Sports Direct Arena on a free transfer from West Ham United in summer 2011.

Written by
Jack Prescott