Viana joins World Cup stars at St James's Park

BOBBY ROBSON welcomed his World Cup stars back yesterday as Newcastle's preparations for the new season slipped into top gear.

Kieron Dyer, Shay Given, Andy O’Brien and new boy Hugo Viana returned for pre-season training yesterday some 10 days behind the rest of their team-mates after being given time to recover from their exertions in the Far East earlier this summer.

Robson and his squad are due to jet out to Holland for the club’s pre-season training camp, during which they will play four low-key friendlies, on Thursday. Meanwhile, Viana will be able to spend the next few days getting to know the new faces after his £8.5 million move from Sporting Lisbon.

The 19-year-old will at least be able to enjoy a few home comforts after heading for England with his mother: ‘‘The thing I am going to miss about Portugal is the food and that’s why I have brought my mother across with me. The rest of my family will be coming over later, but my mother will be making sure I settle in okay.’’

Viana and former Ipswich defender Titus Bramble are the two new kids on the block on Tyneside so far this summer, although the fact that Robson has invested in excess of £13 million to secure their services is a measure of just how highly he rates the talent of both.

The Portugal international in particular arrives with a rapidly blossoming reputation after starring for his country at the European Under-21 Championships in Switzerland in May and then barely catching his breath before heading out to the World Cup finals.

That places an added burden on his shoulders as he attempts to live up to his billing, but although he admits he faces a huge responsibility to prove his worth, he is looking forward to the challenge: ‘‘I know the responsibility I am taking in representing a club like Newcastle United and, to tell the truth, I will be a bit anxious to begin with. But having said that, I am confident I will not disappoint anyone at St James’ Park. I have confidence in my ability, otherwise I would never have signed for a club like Newcastle United. When I agreed to join Newcastle United, I knew that I would be playing for one of the best teams in England and in the best league in Europe and that I would be working with Sir Bobby Robson. Of course Sir Bobby is well known and respected in Portugal after his success with both Porto and my old club, Sporting Lisbon.

‘‘I am sure I will learn quite a bit from him and develop into the player he expects me to be.’’

Viana will get his first chance to show what he can do in Holland in games against FC Capelle, De Tubanters Enschede, GVVV Veenendaal and UDI ’19 Beter Ben, although the first time the club’s supporters will be able to see him at home will be in a friendly at Nottingham Forest on July 31.

United then play at Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 3 and complete their preparations with their only home game against Barcelona on August 7 a week ahead of the first leg of their Champions League qualifier.