The Magpies have been shorn of characters in recent years but things are changing under Benitez.
Rafael Benitez has told The Chronicle he wants to fill his promotion-chasing Newcastle United squad with winners who respect the values of the historic club.
Recent seasons have seen a palpable discord develop between The Magpies vociferous fan base and their under-performing players, with talented individuals such as Moussa Sissoko shamelessly using the club as a stepping stone to engineer a move to a Champions League-based team.
As a result, Benitez dispensed with some of Newcastle’s biggest names in the summer as doubts continued to swirl about their commitment to the side, replacing them with characters desperate to don the famous black and white and, in the case of Matt Ritchie, Dwight Gayle and Mo Diame, drop down a division to restore the club to the elite.
And Benitez says it is exactly this type of outlook he wants to form the spine of his new-look Newcastle as they continue to cruise back to the Premier League after just one season away.
“You want winners,” the Spaniard told The Chronicle. “You want players who are competing and will go in there and try their best.
“But they have to understand they have team-mates and fans to respect. “There are a lot of things that are important if you want to be consistent during the whole season.”
The Chronicle reported recently that Newcastle are expanding their scouting system into different markets as they look to add to an already imperious squad in January, with players in Belgium, Holland, Spain and Portugal on the radar.
However, regardless of their footballing talent, Benitez will demand attitude over ability, a method that will certainly go down well with fans who, to their credit, remained as passionate as ever while their club descended into disarray.
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