Newcastle United new boy Mathieu Debuchy feared he would have to continue waiting to fulfil his ambition of playing in England.

France international right-back Debuchy, 27, had made clear his desire to quit Lille after almost two decades with Les Dogues and join Newcastle last summer. After the clubs failed to reach a deal, Debuchy publicly stated his frustration at the move breaking down, a sentiment he told Le Parisien newspaper he expected to be prolonged until next summer.

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