Atsu – on loan from Chelsea – made 35 appearances for the St. James Park outfit in all competitions as the club won the Championship last season to gain promotion.

READ ALSO:  Christian Atsu seals four-year deal with Newcastle

The 25-year-old’s impressive performances pushed Magpies coach, Raphael Benitez to sign him on a permanent basis for £6.2 million from the Blues.

And though Atsu admits he faces competition for a place in the Toon XI, he believes it is now up to himself to show his quality in the English topflight.

"I am very happy to get back to the Premier League with Newcastle,” Atsu is quoted as saying by Ghanasoccernet.com."Everything now depends on me. It’s down to the player now."I need to work hard now and try to be better than I was before. I always want to improve myself.

READ ALSO: What next for Christian Atsu after Newcastle's Premiership qualification? "I have to keep working hard and being consistent for the team. I have a lot to improve this season. The Premier League has a lot of quality."This season will be hard for us so we have to work harder than last season. We have to make sure we improve and try to compete with everybody in the Premier League."

The Ghana international previously enjoyed frustrating spells in the Premier League with both Everton and Bournemouth, and he will be hoping to finally live up to expectations with Newcastle United.