Nolan aims for pre-season return

Nolan has scored 12 goals in 32 games for Newcastle this season

Newcastle United midfielder Kevin Nolan says he will be fit for pre-season training after having surgery on an ankle problem.

The 28-year-old was ruled out of the Magpies’ final two Premier League games of this season to give him more time to recover for the next campaign.

“I went in a week ago, everything’s been fine,” Nolan told BBC Newcastle.

“It will give me more opportunity to make sure that when we come back on 4 July I will be ready and raring to go.”

Nolan has been a regular in the Newcastle first-team under both Chris Hughton and his successor Alan Pardew, scoring 12 goals in 32 games despite suffering with the ankle problem for much of the season.

“It wasn’t difficult at all to play on through the injury, we’ve got fantastic medical staff, who have worked tireless hours with me,” the former Bolton man added.

“The doctor, physios Derek Wright and David Henderson have been fantastic and put up with all my moaning.

“My hat goes off to them for managing to get me out on the pitch as many times as they did.”