Newcastle United player candidly talks about being benched by Steve Bruce

Schar was out of the team under Bruce before the then-head coach’s departure the season before last. The defender was recalled to the team for Eddie Howe’s first game – and he hasn’t looked back since then.

Newcastle stayed up that season, and today, the club is fourth in the Premier League table and in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup

“(It’s been a) huge turnaround, I think, not just for me, for everyone, when you see where we have been and where we are now,” Schar told the club’s matchday programme for this afternoon’s home game against Fulham.

"But, for me personally, obviously there were times when I didn’t want to not come in, but I couldn’t see myself long-term here, to be honest, because I didn’t get any trust from the managers – or the things that happened here.

“But since a year, since the new owners, since the manager, everything completely changed. I’m so happy for myself that I’m in this position now, being in the team, playing games, and the team’s doing well. I appreciate it a lot.”

Howe had attempted to sign Schar while in charge of Bournemouth.

“I mean, I didn’t always play a lot (under Bruce),” said the 31-year-old, who went to the World Cup with Switzerland.

""I was in a difficult position, and I think the manager or even then the club wouldn’t be like trying to keep me, you know? I’m like ‘I want to play football, that’s the only thing I want to do’

“At this stage of my career, I didn’t want to sit on the bench, and obviously the way we played football wasn’t really suited to myself.

"Then I started to think of what’s happening next what’s going on? I kind of felt like, when I heard who was coming to be here as the new manager, things changed, because I’d already had content with him a few years ago.

"The mentality from myself changed a lot, and I’m just glad and thankful for that.”

Schar joined Newcastle from Deportivo La Coruna in 2018 during Rafa Benitez’s time in charge.