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Davide Santon has hit back at claims he wasn’t prepared to fight for his place at Newcastle United.

The Italian full-back left the Magpies in January to join Inter Milan on loan but the deal has now been made permanent and the Azzurri international will ply his trade at the San Siro for the foreseeable future.

Newcastle head coach John Carver had suggested that Santon didn’t want to stay at the club unless he was first choice – and Santon’s exit has been compounded by injuries to Paul Dummett and Massadio Haidara which has left the Magpies short of no cover at full-back.

But Santon told ChronicleLive from Milan: “I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the comments made recently by John Carver about my move to Inter Milan. “I want to say that I never thought for one moment, having been out injured for eight months, that I would immediately play again as a regular at Newcastle United.

“During the time I was injured, I worked hard every day to get back to full fitness as soon as possible. My career has always been based on hard work and sacrifices which help me to keep on improving.

“I have always struggled to carve out a space for myself and I know that it will be the same until the end of my career. I therefore would never refuse to fight for my place in any team.”

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Santon returned from a long-term knee injury in December but left the club shortly after Alan Pardew joined Crystal Palace. He did play in the FA Cup third round at Leicester City during the dismal 1-0 loss but claims he soon realised his career on Tyneside was over.

He said: “It was with deep regret that when I spoke with John Carver and after five games on the bench in the Premier League without playing even a single minute, I realised that I was no longer in the first team plans of the coach.

“At that moment, after three and a half years as a Newcastle player, I no longer felt an essential part of the project.”

And he suggested feeling unwanted at the club made him want to quit.

He said: “It was then I was forced to think about my career and my future. Following this Inter Milan, the club where I was born and bred as a footballer, offered me an opportunity that I could not refuse.”

Santon though did pay tribute to fans and club staff at the club’s Benton base.

He said: “I spent three and a half wonderful years in Newcastle, a great club with fantastic fans who have always supported me and showed me their affection. This is why I will never forget them and they’ll always be in my heart.

“Finally I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank all my teammates and the staff with whom I shared a wonderful experience with at Newcastle United.”