Hughton spent most of his playing career at Tottenham before going on to serve as a coach to 10 different Spurs managers.

And on Sunday the 49-year-old – appointed a coach under Kevin Keegan last month – will make his first return to the club since his exit, along with that of Martin Jol, earlier this season.

Hughton said: "Of course it's difficult. When you spend so many years at a club, it's always a wrench to leave.

"From my point of view, the most important thing was to stay positive and look for a new challenge."

Newcastle go into the game on the back of a win and a draw, with those results having eased, if only slightly, the club's relegation fears.

Hughton believes those results will prove a turning point in the battle against the drop.

Tottenham are seven points and two places above United.

Hughton added: "Winning becomes a habit, as does not winning. What you want to be able to do is build-up a head of steam.

"You can get a huge amount of confidence from one win.

"That's the stage we're at at the moment, and we're very confident we can go on from here."