Federico Fernandez says he’s playing for a “very special” club.

Fernandez was reunited with Rafa Benitez, his manager at Napoli, at Newcastle United in the summer of 2018 after joining from Swansea City.

And the defender, 31, has admitted he didn’t appreciate the size of the club until his first visit to St James’s Park with Swansea.

“To be honest, when I came the first time with Swansea I was very surprised about the size of the stadium and how many fans,” Fernandez told talkSPORT’s GameDay podcast. “It’s great to be here as a footballer to represent this kind of club. It’s something very special.”

Fernandez signed a one-year extension to his United contract last month. Head coach Steve Bruce said at the tie "It's really good news to get Fede tied up. He’s had a great season, and richly deserves this recognition."