Former Newcastle United star Keith Gillespie has urged the club to give Steve Bruce the funds required to truly strengthen the squad this summer.

The Magpies endured a difficult season in which they flirted with relegation but ultimately managed to stay up at the end of the campaign.

Indeed, in their final nine games of the campaign, Newcastle lost just twice, to Arsenal and Manchester City, and recorded five wins and two draws, taking a point off both Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

Gillespie subsequently believes that Bruce will be retained by owner Mike Ashley but he has pleaded for the club to invest properly this summer as they look to improve next season.

The ex-Magpies star has cited the examples of West Ham United and Leeds United, with the former finishing sixth, and the Whites securing a top-half finish, as the models to follow.

A report from journalist Alan Nixon has claimed that Newcastle could have as much as £50m to spend this summer.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Gillespie said: “I do think Steve Bruce will be there next season but I hope he gets given the right amount of money in the transfer market to go and strengthen the squad and go and possibly do what the likes of West Ham have done.

"Look at Aston Villa, look at Leeds, go and improve, don’t just be happy with being mediocre and surviving, go and improve on that.”