'I'm really happy" - Jonas Gutierrez reflects on the Newcastle United takeover and the end of Mike Ashley's 14 year reign as owner

Gutierrez was a cult-hero at Newcastle and in an interview with Sky Sports h revealed his delight at the news that the Saudi-led takeover of the club had been completed.

"I think, like all the Newcastle fans, I’m really really happy because for me it was necessary to have a change, to have hope.

"I can see [what] the fans make [of the news] outside of St James’s Park, all the videos of the stuff they did when the [announcement came] of a new owner.

"I’m really, really happy and I think the energy will be totally different and I hope that they can be in the fight for the top-five.

"To all the Newcastle United fans, I’m really happy with the news and I hope that soon I will be there [at St James’s Park].”

The Argentinian played over 200 games for Newcastle in a seven-year stint at the club but his time on Tyneside ended controversially.

Gutierrez was told over the phone that he would be released by the club and in 2016 he won a disability discrimination lawsuit against the club following his diagnosis with cancer.

Gutierrez reflected on the way that his time at Newcastle ended, calling it a ‘sad’ moment:

"It was a hard situation, one that I never expected to be honest. I think over the years that I always tried to do my best, play all the games that I can and then I had to go through my illness.

"To finish with a phone call it was sad, really, really, really sad.

“Ryan Taylor, he was with me and he passed me the phone call. I think it’s not the way to do these things.

"If you have to say something you can at least call you to your phone because I was seven years at the club and it was not a nice way to finish like that.”

Gutierrez is still playing football aged 38 having joined Argentinian side Club Almagro on a free-transfer this summer.

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