Newcastle defender Danny Simpson says he wants to stay with the club despite being linked with a move away from the North East outfit.
Simpson made 35 Premier League appearances for the Magpies last season and was reportedly close to an England call-up.
Although talks stalled over a new contract recently and QPR were rumoured to be interested in his signature, the right-back says he does not want to leave.
“I’m staying. I never once considered leaving,” Simpson told TalkSPORT after featuring in Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Tottenham on Saturday.
“As far as I’m concerned I’m staying here. I love the players and I love the manager. He (manager, Alan Pardew) is a top manager and he’s a good friend as well.
“You’ve seen what the fans are like so why would I want to leave this place?”
Simpson moved to the Sports Direct Arena from Manchester United in 2009 initially on loan, before signing a permanent deal in January 2010.
