Eddie Howe says he can still separate football from politics one year on from Newcastle's Saudi-led takeover and admits he was never going to turn down a job he feared he had lost to Unai Emery.
The head coach has again faced questions on the morality of Saudi ownership in the Premier League, given the country's human-rights record and their alleged involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
But Howe has put his faith in the League's owners and directors test and believes the allegiance between the UK government and Saudi Arabia has strengthened the decision to approve the takeover.