Rafa Benitez has once again failed to offer any long-term reassurances about his future at Newcastle United as he comes to the end of an emotional first year in charge.

Benitez will mark his one-year anniversary with a home game against Fulham, with the Magpies leading the Championship by three points and on course to make an immediate return to the Premier League.

The Spaniard’s impact as manager has been huge and he is idolised by supporters who have filled the ground to capacity for almost every home game, even though the team are playing in the second tier.

However, there has been tension behind the scenes and Benitez felt as though promises made to him when he agreed to remain as manager, after failing to save the team from relegation in the summer, were not kept in January.

Those promises centred around player recruitment with Benitez confident he had lined up a deal to re-sign England international winger Andros Townsend in January, only for the deal to collapse when Newcastle failed to match the asking price.