Ciaran Clark left Aston Villa to sign for Newcastle United last summer.
Ciaran Clark has told the Daily Star that as soon as he left Aston Villa to join Newcastle United, he was taken aback by how positive the mood around St. James’ Park was.
Newcastle were relegated from the Premier League last season, but the appointment of Rafael Benitez meant that there was a positive feeling on Tyneside.
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Newcastle fans were confident of an immediate return to the top flight with the Spaniard in charge, and their faith has been well placed.
The Magpies currently sit at the top of the Championship standings, and appear to be in a very strong position to earn promotion.
By contrast, the mood around Villa at the start of the season was one of frustration and that has not changed.
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Villa are stuck down in 16th place in the Championship table, with their promotion hopes surely over for this season.
And Clark admits that there was big differences between the two clubs. The central-defender said: “From the moment I arrived, it didn’t feel like a club that had just gone down.
“I sensed a feel-good factor which you don’t normally associate with a club that’s just suffered relegation.
“The vibe was so positive and even on the streets, there was excitement and positivity among the fans.”
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