Coloccini looking to future with Newcastle

Newcastle United captain Fabricio Coloccini is eager to look forward after pledging his immediate future to the club.

Coloccini, who joined Newcastle in July 2007, went public with his desire to return to his native Argentina for personal reasons last year.

However, the 32-year-old is no longer seeking an escape route from St James' Park and is instead focusing on the 2014-15 Premier League season.

"I had personal problems," he told the Shields Gazette.

"Sometimes it's tough - you have to decide between the problems and the work.

"Sometimes it's too difficult. Now it's finished and next season I will be here.

"I'm looking forward to improving. We want the best for Newcastle United."

Coloccini was appointed Newcastle skipper in 2011 and says he relishes leading by example.

"It's a big responsibility to be captain - I love that, it's a good thing," he added.

"It's not so much about speaking or shouting. It's about saying the right things in the right way to go forward."