Duff: I'm staying at Newcastle

25 May 2009 12:41
Damien Duff has vowed to remain at Newcastle United after his own goal sealed the Magpies relegation from the Barclays Premier League. And the winger wants Alan Shearer to become manager on a full-time basis despite his failure to keep United in the top flight after an eight-game spell at the helm. Duff inadvertently deflected a first-half shot from Aston Villa's stand-in skipper Gareth Barry past Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper to doom his side to a 1-0 reverse at Villa Park on Sunday. It meant Newcastle finished in the bottom three but Duff is keen to help the club regain their Premier League status at the first attempt. Duff said: "I'm as loyal as they come and, whether the gaffer stays or goes, I'd love to try and get Newcastle back up into the Premier League. I don't know what words can describe the way I feel. I'm devastated. The lads haven't tasted relegation apart from me at Blackburn and Nicky Butt at Birmingham. "When it happened at Blackburn, I wasn't planning on seeing it again in my career. It's not a nice feeling. No disrespect to the Championship, but Newcastle are too big a club to be down there. I plan on being straight back up (in the Premier League) after next season."

Source: Eurosport