Newcastle defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa feeling settled and keen to shine

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa: Happy at Newcastle and determined to make an impression

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa is happy with how he has adjusted to life at Newcastle United and hopes to make an impact for the club.

The French defender made the move to St James' Park from Montpellier last month and made his first start for the Magpies in their UEFA Europa League game at home to Metalist Kharkiv.

It finished as a goalless draw but Yanga-Mbiwa still enjoyed the occasion and is now looking forward to Thursday's second leg in Ukraine.

"We had our chances to come away with victory, but unfortunately we couldn't," he said in the Daily Mirror.

"However, there were a lot of positives to take out of the match and we'll go away in the second leg, try and get one or two goals and come away with a victory.

"I was very excited to get going in the Newcastle shirt, especially at St James' Park. It was good to get my foot in the door and show the team that I can work well with the squad.

"Obviously the manager wants a squad that will work well together, where everyone can play, where everyone has their position and where we can go and get some good results and move away from the bottom end of the Premier League and hope to do some good things with the team."

Yanga-Mbiwa says Newcastle's players have helped him feel at home following his move from France, and he is even starting to cope with the weather.

He said: "I'm liking my life here in Newcastle. I'm getting to know the city a lot better and finding places that I like.

"The players who were already here have given me some good tips of great places to go and I'm looking forward to looking around a little bit more.

"It's just a little bit cold, perhaps - but I'm starting to get used to it."