“Make no mistake, there will be 2, 3 or 4 new faces through the door before we start back. We need to replace the 3 loan players, we’ve brought in Hendrick - and we have one or two things bubbling away.”

Steve Bruce, Newcastle Head Coach

Steve Bruce reassured Newcastle fans the club will make new signings for the 2020/21 season as he confirmed the strongly-rumoured move for 50-capped Irish international Jeff Hendrick as his first main signing of 2020/21 to add Premier League experience to the Magpies midfield as well as a new deal for local lad Matty Longstaff.

Hendrick, 28, arrives on a free transfer after his contract at Burnley wound down after scoring 9 goals in 122 games for the Lancashire club, one of which was this winner against Newcastle in the Premier League at Turf Moor in October 2018:

The 6ft 1in midfielder is an international team-mate of United centre-back Ciaran Clark and played in all of the Republic of Ireland's matches at Euro 2016 impressing against Italy and France and has scored twice in 54 appearances for his country.

Playing style-wise, Hendrick is a tenacious midfielder of over 100 top flight games with Burnley who will bring passing quality and resilience to the Newcastle midfield places and an all-rounder skill-set and energy that will make Newcastle a more competent side.

He was a key figure in Burnley finishing 7th in the 2017/8 and qualification for the following season's Europa League and played a part in their short European campaign.

A compressed Premier League season without any space in the football calendar means Newcastle will need consistent, reliable midfielders and Hendrick fits into that category of a model pro who will help the spirit of the team and winning mentality.

Whether Algerian midfielder Nabil Bentaleb, on loan at St. James' Park from January until the end of the season, joins them remains to be seen but Newcastle fans were greeted with the good news yesterday that Geordie youngster Matty Longstaff, brother of Sean, will be signing a new deal with the club after all...

to the delight of Newcastle fans who were praying the club would keep one of their own:

And Bruce was equally delighted as he confirmed the deal was all but done:

Hendrick is technically Bruce's second signing of the summer after the addition of local born former Carlisle goalkeeper Mark Gillespie, who signed in July on a free from Motherwell to replace outgoing third keeper Robbie Elliot whose contract has run out and the goalkeeper's initation song, 'Life Is A Rollercoaster' for his new teammates at their York training camp got the attention of its original singer Ronan Keating on Twitter:

Bruce has reiterated a desire for players with Premier League experience, men who are ready to go in the hurly-burly of the English stop flight from day one and Newcastle fans will be hoping that a striker with Premier League experience will follow him through the door at St. James' Park to score the goals that can truly kick The Magpies on.