Big deal for Bigger Lad

Amid rumours of interest from the spendalot duo of Chelsea and Man City, we've managed to tie down Bigger Lad with a new five-year contract. Praised as "the future of this club" by Derek Llambiarse, the player himself has described the deal as "brilliant".

While Bigger Lad's been generating a lot of positive press thus far this season, those of us who watch him regularly are well aware he's as yet far from the world-beater some are hailing him as - and would probably agree that Chris Hughton's decision to drop (or rest) him for the trip to Eastlands was justified given his previous two or three performances. But, as raw as he is, there's plenty of potential there, if he can knuckle down and focus, and it's gratifying to see that he's sensible enough to realise his development will be best continued on Tyneside rather than on the bench or in the reserves of the Premier League's big boys.

Meanwhile, Friday's Mirror reported that Bigger Lad's fellow Geordie (and training ground adversary) Steven Taylor could follow Fraser Forster's lead in moving to Celtic on loan in January. Out of contract next summer and transfer-listed due to his failure to agree new terms, Taylor is currently injured. The chances of him finding a way back into favour at St James' Park certainly seem limited - but no doubt we'd be much happier to cash in with a permanent deal when the transfer window reopens (assuming negotiations are indeed as dead-in-the-water as they appear, that is).