Ex-Sunderland midfielder Jack Colback admits his Newcastle United career is finished

The 29-year-old swapped Sunderland for St James's Park in 2014, as he penned a long-term contract with the Black Cats' bitter rivals.

That deal was expected to expire this summer, but Colback has now revealed that he has a further year still to run on his contract - although he doesn't expect to feature for the Magpies again.

Benitez has deemed the midfielder as surplus to requirements and, having spent the current season with Championship side Nottingham Forest, Colback knows his future on Tyneside is looking bleak - no matter who is sitting in the dugout at St James's Park next season.

“I have a year left on my contract at Newcastle," he revealed, speaking to the Nottingham Post.

"When I saw the reports that said I was out of contract, I had to check with my agent that I did have a year left.

“It is not as though I am looking at it and thinking that I will go back to Newcastle and try to get back in the team. I am realistic enough to know that, if the current manager is still there, I am not going to be playing.

“I am not sat here thinking that things might change if he goes – the way I am looking at it is to think that I haven’t played for the club for two years and it is unlikely that I will do again.

“We will see what happens in the summer."

And while Colback's spell at Newcastle looks set to come to an underwhelming end, he will hold no bad feelings towards his boyhood club.

“I really enjoyed my time at Newcastle," he continued.

Getting relegated was hard, because it is my home town club and I have a lot of family and friends up there. That was tough to take.

“In the time I was there, I played a lot of games. It did not end too well.

"But that happens with football. It is one of those things that is out of the blue"