I've Improved Under Rafa, Says Mbemba

By Tom Easterby - Newcastle United Club Reporter

Defender Chancel Mbemba believes he has improved as a player under Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez.

Benitez last month put pen to paper on a new initial three-year deal that will keep him at St. James' Park until at least the summer of 2019.

With the Spaniard in charge of United for the final ten games of the campaign, DR Congo international Mbemba was a regular at the heart of the Magpies defence, starting nine of those games after recovering from injury.

And the 21-year-old reckons his game has come on under the guidance of the former Real Madrid boss in the few short months since his arrival.

"On a personal note, it's really good to have worked with him. I've worked with a lot of coaches over the last few years, and Rafa is one of the best," Mbemba told nufc.co.uk.

"He's absolutely fantastic. He's a Champions League winner, he's managed Real Madrid, he's managed Liverpool and personally, I think he's really helped me improve as a player.

"It's really important. The coach, when you look at him, is like a teacher - he watches everyone, all of the players and he gives you the confidence to go out there and do what you do best, so I would like to thank him a lot for that.

"I played a lot of games last season. It was my first season here and I played 30-something games and that was really fantastic for me."