Ben Arfa 'touched' by Newcastle - Interview.

Hatem Ben Arfa is due back on Tyneside tomorrow, and that alone will hopefully boost the squad as the talented Frenchman continues his rehabilitation from the double leg break that he suffered back in September.

Hatem will pick up keys to a house that has been organised for him by the club on his return and he will begin the process of settling into life in what will become his new home. Belatedly of course due to his injury, but it's better late than never and it didn't stop Newcastle making his signing permanent in the January window.

Yesterday he spoke to Canal+ about a number of things, and as it was on French TV it meant that I was unable to watch it. However, a version of it has been transcripted in Foot Mercato which I am going to now try and translate using Google plus a bit of French knowledge from my school days to try and tidy up so we don't end up with talk of how Ben Arfa like shopping trolleys when in fact he is trying to say that he likes cheese.....

Here goes....

Firstly, Ben Arfa spoke of the chance that the injury lay-off has presented to him. It appears that the injury has been a blessing in disguise for him as he has built bridges with his friends and family. Benny said:

"It is true that there was a setback. I could get closer to my friends and really think. I was no longer in the spotlight, I was really with myself. I could get closer to my family, my friends. I also got to travel a bit. This is a break that has made me better and I hope it will be a blessing in disguise. Only time will tell."

It's been explained to us by people like Graham Carr how positively our treatment of Hatem Ben Arfa has been viewed back in his native France, and it would appear that our 'hands off' treatment has struck a chord with Ben Arfa who is eager to repay the club for the faith shown in him. He said:

"The club gave me lots of respect, lots of love. I want to repay them and do a lot for this club because they have given me great confidence. For a human being, that's huge. It touched me."

Ben Arfa then went on to say that he didn't hold anything against de Jong and accepted an apology from the Dutch thug, although he does feel that players need more protection from referees:

"I do not really understand English. But in his text, he told me about how he did not intend to hurt me and he was sorry. I told him it was okay, it was football."

"Anyway, the problem is that there was no blame. I think people can get away with anything if there are no sanctions. I do not want to criticise the referee, but we still have a little more to do to protect players, and if he wants to tackle like this again then maybe he will think twice."

As discussed by Alan Pardew the other day, Ben Arfa will be our roving number 10 and will have the license to be our creative force next season - a role that Ben Arfa is looking forward to by all accounts. He continued:

"This position is my preferred position. When the coaches put you on the wing, you adapt. But it is true that it is a job that I love because I can bring much to the group. It is a position that requires a lot of responsibilities. It is a position I like a lot but compared to the France team, we'll see. It is another thing."

That's about it really and I apologise for the poor translation at times. I've tried to polish it up a bit but my French is not as good as my Spanish so all I've done is try my best.

We'll have to wait and see whether or not Ben Arfa can return as the player he once was, although all the signs have indicated so far that he should be back and be as fit as ever. It's a long road to recovery, but it will be worth the wait if he can reproduce his best for us.

Take it easy Benny!