CELESTINE BABAYARO has cheekily belittled league leaders Chelsea by claiming new employers Newcastle United are a much 'bigger' club.

The Blues are on course for their first title in 50 years having extended their lead at the top of the Premiership to seven points by beating Middlesbrough in midweek.

Babayaro has moved on after only being a peripheral part of Chelsea's emphatic start to the campaign and Newcastle are a massive 29 points shy of Jose Mourinho's men.

But the Nigerian insists that by moving to the Magpies he does not believe he has taken a step down in class and instead he has chosen to look at the switch as a challenge.

And Babayaro, expected to make his debut at left-back against non-league Yeading tomorrow in the FA Cup with Olivier Bernard suspended, feels privileged to be able to call St James' Park his home.

"Newcastle are a big, big team, bigger than Chelsea because there are 55,000 fans every week here and only 40,000 at Chelsea," said Babayaro, who was brought to England from Anderlecht when Ruud Gullit was in charge at the Bridge.

"It is a great honour for me to be here and to have the chance to play for Newcastle. I know for a fact that Newcastle are a big club which has had great players over many years and it is a great honour to be here."

Having spent seven years at Chelsea, Babayaro feels a little hard done by with the way things have ended this season.

When Mourinho took over in the summer the player claims he was told that he would be given a fair chance to prove his worth.

But, six months on, Babayaro has only made four Premiership appearances in that time and points to that reason why he has decided to move on and aim a swipe at his ex-boss in the process.

"At the end of the day I was a player at Chelsea and Mourinho was the manager. I did everything I had to do and I trained well but the boss is the boss, he picks the team and puts out the 11. I am here now with Newcastle and hopefully I will be given a chance," said Babayaro.

"When Jose Mourinho joined the club he had a meeting with every player and said he would be fair with us all and give us all games in the team but I was disappointed I only started four games.

"When I had the opportunity to come here it was great for me because I had five months left on my contract. I am here today with a great opportunity to play at a big club like Newcastle and hopefully I will be given a fair chance to prove myself."

Babayaro has fond memories of the FA Cup having been at Wembley to watch Chelsea's success over Middlesbrough in 1997, just a month after signing.

The African also played in the 2000 Cup triumph over Aston Villa - the last final to be played underneath the Twin Towers - and that appearance was his only one of that glory run so he missed the semi-final win over Newcastle.

He has told new teammate Jean-Alain Boumsong to expect a tough encounter tomorrow with plenty of 'fighting' and it promises to be a strange way for the Frenchman - the 12th to play for the club in the Premiership - to make his first start in English football.

After just six months north of the border with Scottish Premier League giants Rangers, Boumsong opted to uproot south in a bid to make him a better player.

And, at 25, the former Auxerre centre-back is relishing the prospect of battling with captain Alan Shearer in training and learning to adjust to life in the North-East.

"As a young player to play in Premiership is a good challenge. It is the best league in the world and it will be very interesting to play in," said Boumsong.

"It was very interesting to play in Scotland, I thought it would be easy but it was not. It was very, very difficult. Every game is a cup final because every opponent wants to attack you.

"You have to be ready in every game and deal with the pressure and I think that will help me with my career here and certainly on Sunday.

"If I get used to it I am sure I will improve my football. I hope I will improve just by playing Shearer in training. He is still a great player.

"I know people expect good things from me but my aim is not to focus on the pressure but to give my best and improve my game.

"I know I come into a club with good players and good human beings which will help me focus on my performances and may be the pressure will not affect me."

Boumsong's £8m price tag has led to the supporters hailing him as Jonathan Woodgate's replacement but the new boy does not want to look at the comparisons.

"You don't have to compare me with Jonathan Woodgate or anyone else. He has his own style and I have mine and my aim is to just play football and I think everyone will be happy," he said.

"I am here to play football, do well and here to earn and deserve the trust that everyone puts on me and it can help my international career but I have to play well first."

* Newcastle's next appearance in the UEFA Cup has been confirmed to take place in Heerenveen on Thursday, February 17, with the second leg at St James' a week later.

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