Obafemi Martins: "I was left with no option but to leave Newcastle. The place had become a total shambles.
"No one seemed to know what was going on. The club was just left to drift after relegation and the worst thing was there was no communication with the players.
"The players were hoping that Alan Shearer would get the manager's job, but the people supposedly running the club didn't seem capable of making a decision.
"And with no manager and most of the top players wanting out, I felt I had no future there.
"It is sad to see how the club has gone downhill in the last couple of years.
"There is absolutely no direction. The players are demoralised by the lack of leadership and I just can't see things getting better."