In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey has claimed that Steve Bruce has a great relationship with his players and has their trust.

Bruce has handled the pressure at Newcastle well in recent weeks as, since the international break, they have not lost a game, a run that has included draws against Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool respectively.

The former Sunderland manager has only made one change to his starting lineup in the last four games, which was to bring Allan Saint-Maximin in for Dwight Gayle after his cameo appearances against both Spurs and Burnley.

Speaking on how Bruce has established such a good relationship with his squad and why that is so important to have as a manager, Howey told FFC exclusively:

"It seems as though Steve has got a relationship with players where he can talk to them and he can say to them, if you want to play, then I'll start you, but you have to be honest because you don't want players going out their half-hearted.

"I think that's what he has to do with Saint-Maximin and also with someone like Callum Wilson."

Bruce has been thankful to be able to welcome some of his best players back in recent weeks, such as Callum Wilson, Saint-Maximin and Federico Fernandez, and their returns have coincided with the Magpies' current unbeaten run.

Newcastle moved away from their split striker system, which was something Graeme Jones favoured, and reverted to a back three and that has provided them with a solid foundation to build upon.