Newcastle United's rapid progression on and off the pitch in the last year has impressed Manchester United head coach Erik Ten Hag.

The Magpies host Rayo Vallecano at St James' Park on Saturday (12.30pm) as they step up their preparations for the resumption of competitive football.

Bournemouth are the visitors in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night before Eddie Howe's side head for Leicester City on Boxing Day, looking to continue where they left off before the break.

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Newcastle are third in the Premier League, four points and two places above Manchester United, whose boss Ten Hag has been impressed by developments on Tyneside.

“They (Newcastle) have done well,” he said.

“They did the right investments and that is what you have to value. Make the right environment and culture and he (head coach Eddie Howe) has done really well.”

Ten Hag also namechecked Newcastle as he assessed the competition at the top end of the table.

He told The Athletic: "It’s a tough competition between seven or eight clubs.

“That’s a change in circumstances when you compare with five or 10 years ago – the competition is much tougher.

"Newcastle are coming, even West Ham, maybe not now in the table, but they have huge investment, Spurs definitely, and then City, Chelsea and Liverpool, I don’t need to talk about them.

"(You can) Quickly count seven or eight clubs that can compete in the league. Even at the bottom, I don’t see weak teams. They’re all strong. There’s no easy games.”

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Meanwhile, Newcastle have been backed to build on their hugely impressive start and secure a top four spot by Neil Warnock.

Assessing the battle for the Champions League places, former Middlesbrough boss Warnock told talkSPORT “I think I’d put Newcastle in, me.”

“I don’t think Man United will come fourth, but I do think he’s [Ten Hag] getting the job done. I thought it would take two or three years."