Having shouldered for months the responsibility of guiding Newcastle through some troubled times, Chris Hughton has been rewarded with the news that he has been offered the manager's job on a permanent basis.

GettyImagesChris Hughton has performed admirably in his role.

Hughton was installed as caretaker manager for the start of the Championship season when an agreement failed to be reached with Alan Shearer and he has steered the club to joint top of the table as they seek an immediate return to the top flight.

With Newcastle's ownership issue still unresolved, and further talks expected with interested party Barry Moat, owner Mike Ashley has now chosen to offer the club some stability by appointing Hughton on a full-time contract.

"I am honoured to be offered the job," said Hughton. "We are still in negotiations, but it is something we hope will get resolved. I have always felt that the manager's situation was an issue, but not the most important one. Getting results has been the most important thing.

"Once we have got Scunthorpe and Doncaster out of the way, we will have discussions with Derek Llambias. It will involve moving from caretaker to manager on a full-time basis. They have indicated to me that they want to turn it from a temporary role to a permanent one."

Hughton has secured 24 points from his 12 league games this season, leaving Newcastle joint top of the table with West Brom and four points ahead of Cardiff in second.