Newcastle United head coach Steve McClaren has backed Siem de Jong to prove his quality in the Premier League when he regains full fitness.

After moving to St James' Park from Ajax last summer, the Dutchman was restricted to only five appearances for his new club as a thigh injury and a collapsed lung ended his hopes of finding his form quickly in England.

However, McClaren is confident that the 26-year-old will be a success for the Magpies after working with him during his spell as FC Twente boss.

"He can assist and he can score, and that's a big weapon to have, those two things. He's going to be a big asset for us," the Newcastle boss told reporters.

"I remember when he came here, I remember thinking what a good signing that was. He's yet to light the place up, but that's purely because of injuries. He's just building up to get that chance.

"I think Siem has found that year out catching up with him, shall we say. He's going to take a while getting to the right tempo and the right level, but we can see it every day, that he's improving, getting better, and he can see that, too."

Newcastle spent a reported £6m to secure De Jong's services a year ago.