Alan Pardew: "He is far from unmanageable.
“I didn’t see that at all when he was here. I didn’t see it.
“If there was one thing about him here, he just had constant hits with injuries. That’s going to take a toll on your character a little bit, and he was a little bit down when he left the other day and I can understand that.
“The summer is important for him, it’s important he gets himself injury-free and has a good feeling about himself. But he’s a fantastic player and he’s still got a big future in the Premier League.
“If I’m honest I haven’t really given any thought about returning here.
“I’m obviously disappointed that I’ve lost him because I felt I had a good feeling with him and that he had a good feeling with me – that’s very important with a player of his ability and character.
“But where we go from here I’ve got to be honest, I haven’t really thought about it.”