Steve Bruce believes he helped Matty Longstaff swerve a bullet by steering him away from a move to Udinese this summer.
The Serie A side finished 13th last season but face a battle to do likewise this time around after a summer of player sales.
Bruce sat down with Longstaff and his parents after his contract had expired before clinching a deal following months of negotiations and a change of agent for the midfielder.
Bruce told Chronicle Live: "Deep down, the boy never wanted to go.
"I think people turned his head, which happens with young players.
"No disrespect to Udinese, why the hell would you want to go to Udinese?
"I think a conversation with his mam and dad, and him, got it over the line, which I’m delighted about."
The England Under-20 international has yet to make an appearance this season after spending time on the sidelines with a troublesome thigh injury.
Bruce said: "Now we need to fix his thigh because he’s had a troubled six months.
"It’s important we get that cleared up."
Bruce knows that Newcastle would have been left wide open to criticism had Longstaff left for just £400,000 worth of compensation this summer.
United were lambasted by some fans when they allowed promising left-back Lewis Gibson leave to join Everton in 2019.
Bruce reflected: "It was important that we didn’t lose our young players.
"Unfortunately, Matty’s had that niggling thigh strain.
"So we hope he can get better."
