Tiote: ‘Bad egg’ claims never dented my confidence

Cheick Tiote: Back in favour at Newcastle

Cheick Tiote: Back in favour at Newcastle

Cheick Tiote has shrugged off claims that he was a “bad egg” in the Newcastle dressing room as he attempts to rejuvenate his career on Tyneside.

The 29-year-old Ivory Coast international midfielder is back in the team after finally recovering from a long-standing knee injury and is working hard to rediscover his early form for the Magpies, which at one point saw him linked with both Arsenal and Manchester United.

However, he returned having been accused in some media quarters of being an unsettling influence within the camp, something flatly denied by head coach Steve McClaren.

Tiote told the Chronicle: “It didn’t affect me, I know myself that I didn’t do anything bad. Everybody at the club and my partner knows that.

“I just do my best for the team, that is the most important thing. All I want is to see the team go forward and win games.”