Christian Atsu wants Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez to extend his contract with the club.
The Spaniard is under mounting pressure at St James Park following the side’s unflattering campaign this term.
But the Ghana international wants the former Liverpool manager to extend his contract with the side.
“It’s very important Rafa stays,” Atsu says. “Newcastle’s a big club and Rafa’s a great manager, one of the best in the world, one of the few to have won the Champions League. He’s great for this club, with him here, big players will come to Newcastle and we can win trophies,” he is quoted by the Guardian.
“Rafa’s like a father,” Atsu says. “He encourages me almost every day. Tactically Rafa’s very detailed but he’s not just about tactics and coaching. He’s very good at the human side of management which is so important.
“Everyone here finds Rafa warm. If you have a problem you can go and speak to him, you can talk to him about anything. He keeps pushing everyone in training every day; he teaches you how to be a professional on and off the pitch.”
The Magpies have suffered from under -investment since being promoted in May 2017.
