Bracewell and Lee were two of Keegan's most successful signings during his first spell as Newcastle United manager.

Keegan signed Bracewell from derby rivals Sunderland after the club dithered on offering the midfielder a new deal, and the £250,000 Keegan spent on him proved to be a shrewd investment.

And he once labelled Lee – a £700,000 capture from Charlton Athletic – as his best "pound for pound" signing, with the winger, who would later become a defensive midfielder, playing a huge part in helping the club into the Premier League.

Keegan believes fans will quickly warm to midfielder Guthrie, signed from Liverpool earlier this month after spending a year on loan at Bolton Wanderers.

He said: "Young Danny Guthrie, he's a little bit of a mix, for the older fans, between Paul Bracewell and Rob Lee.

"He's that type of player. Good engine, a very good passer of the ball.

"A link-up player who can get around the field, and of course in the Premier League, you need that.

"And over time, he'll probably learn to play in a defensive-midfield holding position."