"It's a huge football club with a ridiculous fan base,"
"Every player I've ever spoken to says it's a totally unique place to play.
"Steve Bruce has also shown defensively over the years that he knows how to put a side together.
"And being the fantastic defender that he was, what better manager to learn from than him"

Dean Ashton on Jamal Lewis' move to Newcastle United

Newcastle United signed Northern Ireland left-back Jamal Lewis from Norwich City today on a 5-year contract for £14M as Head Coach Steve Bruce continues to put his own unique stamp on his hometown football club in his first proper summer transfer window since taking charge very late last season.

Lewis, 22, is a pacy left-back or left-wing-back with 28 games of Premier League experience with relegated Norwich side last season and Bruce, like fellow admirer Jurgen Klopp, whose Liverpool had a £10M bid turned down last month, had seen enough early on to realize he belongs at the highest level. A delighted Bruce said:

"Jamal is a very exciting prospect. I watched him flourish in the Championship two years ago and he made a real fist of it in the Premier League last season.
"He is only 22 years old and has a wonderful future ahead of him so I hope he is a Newcastle United full-back for years to come.
"It's been a great week for us with incoming players. We have had to be patient but these players improve us, which is key."

Pundit Dean Ashton even believes Klopp will regret Liverpool's failure to capture the up and coming star, likening him to flying full-back Andy Robertson, another player whom Bruce saw great potential in early doors signing him for Hull City with Harry Maguire:

"I think he made a mistake, because there's a lot of potential there," said Ashton, who was speaking ahead of the return of the EFL on Quest highlights show this Saturday.
"If you look at Andy Robertson - and the player he came into Liverpool as - there's certain similarities there in terms of styles.
"Robertson is better in terms of his attacking play and Lewis has still got plenty more to improve on."

Lewis looked very comfortable in his breakout Premier League season playing against the best teams in the best League in the world and played in his full part in one of the results of the season, The Canaries 3-2 win against Man City & even scored the winner in a 1-0 Premier League win against Leicester at Carrow Road with this super volley:

Clearly buzzing to be joining a sleeping giant awakening, Lewis, who also flourished on the international stage last season keeping a clean sheet vs Holland, told NUFC TV:

"It was a little bit unexpected but it was something that I was obviously looking forward to when I heard that there was serious interest, so I'm delighted to be here now.
"Newcastle's such a great club with such history and I knew it was an opportunity I would love to take with both hands."

Lewis is the fourth international through the St. James' Park revolving door this summer from all corners of the British Isles - England's Callum Wilson, Scotland's Ryan Fraser and the Republic of Ireland's Jeff Hendrick in an exciting summer for Geordie fans, who were delighted to learn they can watch their side's opening games free on SKY this month after the Premier League's U-turn about broadcasting domestic games, kicking off against West Ham United for Saturday Night Live at 8pm.