Blackburn Rovers boss Mark Hughes was among the names heavily linked with the Newcastle United manager's position, at one point even the bookies' favourite.But as Kevin Keegan was unveiled at St. James' Park, Rovers striker Roque Santa Cruz spoke of his relief that Hughes was staying put.
"If he had gone, I would have been happy for him - if it was something he really wanted, I'd have wished him luck," said the Paraguayan, who has made a storming impact at Ewood Park since arriving from Bayern Munich in the summer, collecting the Premier League player of the month award for December.
"But I've only been at Blackburn for six months and it would have been disappointing if he'd left so soon when it's gone so well for me," Santa Cruz continued. "He was the main reason I took the choice to come here.
"I listened to him and I believed in what he was trying to do. I knew what a great player he was and he told me that as an ex-player he felt he could help me to improve. It's a relief that it's been sorted and he's staying.
"I've played under some great managers but I rate him very highly. He was a great striker in his day and it's been great to learn off him. But he's also a strong character who can get the best out of people."
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