Robert puts paid to exit rumours

By Matthew Jones
July 4 2002

Laurent Robert has put paid to rumours over his United future by vowing to return to Tyneside as committed as ever this summer.

Laurent Robert has put paid to rumours over his United future by vowing to return to Tyneside as committed as ever this summer.

The Magpies' signing of £8.5million left-sided midfielder Hugo Viana led to speculation that Robert may not be returning to St James' Park ahead of the new season.

However, the French winger has insisted that he cannot wait to get his teeth into Champions League football with United next season.
Robert said: "I have had a good long holiday and now I am looking forward to training again.

"I am happy to spend my second year in Newcastle. We have the qualifying round of the Champions League and if we get through that we can meet the biggest teams in Europe, which is a big challenge for me personally."

Robert added: "When I was in Monaco in the summer, people were asking me to sign for them and the same in Marseille, but I had to tell them 'sorry, I'm spending the next season in Newcastle'."

Robert could shortly find himself as the only Frenchman still at St James' Park - Sylvain Distin opted for better terms at Manchester City while Olivier Bernard's return to the club is far from certain to say the least. The defender is appealing against a Premiership tribunal which insisted he still has a year of his contract to serve with United rather than being allowed to join West Ham.