Kevin Keegan believes his 'understanding' of the Geordie nation will help him bring success to Newcastle.

Keegan made a sensational return to St James' Park for his second stint as manager on Wednesday, 11 years after his first spell came to an end.

The former England, Manchester City and Fulham boss steps into the vacancy created by Sam Allardyce's departure after just 24 games at the helm.

And Keegan, who became a legend on Tyneside during his playing days, believes he knows how to keep the Toon Army on side, but has warned he must be given time to achieve success.

Dreams

He told talksport: "It's a big job. It's a great club and people outside the region don't understand it."

"You listen to the phone-ins and people talking about it. They're people who don't understand this place, they don't understand the Geordies."

"I do. This is my third time here, my dad was a Geordie so I understand them and I know what they want. I know what they don't want as well."

"As long as they are realistic and a little bit patient as well, I think we can try again to help them have dreams again that we could possibly win something."

Keegan admitted that ending his self-imposed exile from football, which began when he left Manchester City in 2005, was an easy decision to make once he had heard the plans of Newcastle owner Mike Ashley.

Unfinished business

"I wouldn't say it was a big decision, I love this club, I don't think anyone would ever doubt that, so from that point of view it was very easy. I had to make a decision and in the end it was a very easy one. I met the owner, I like him very much, I met the chairman, and I just asked them what they felt was needed, particularly the owner, Mike Ashley - I just asked 'what do you want from your football club?"

"Having spent an hour with him that convinced me it was right to come back. I've maybe got a little bit of unfinished business here. Everyone's got opinions on the game of football and what people should and shouldn't do. But I think this is right."

Excited

Keegan accepts he is on a steep learning curve ahead of Saturday's home Premier League meeting with Bolton, but believes he already has an excellent group of players at his disposal.

He said: "We'll have a good look at it, we'll have a good look at the squad. I'm going to learn a lot in a short space of time and we've got a big game on Saturday."

"I've certainly inherited a really strong, talented group of players, which is something I didn't have when I came last time."

"When I came last time we were wondering whether we could fill the stadium. That's not the problem here, it'll be trying to get the stadium big enough if we can put the football on and get any success here!"

"It's very, very exciting. I'm just as excited as when I came to play here and when I came to manage here!"