Newcastle winger Damien Duff has promised his best days at Newcastle are yet to come as he plots his return from a frustrating injury lay-off.

The 27-year-old was hailed as the bargain signing of the summer when he signed for £5 million from Chelsea. However, by his own admission, he has not reproduced the form which initially won him his £17 million switch to Stamford Bridge on a consistent basis in a United shirt.

Duff said: "Newcastle fans certainly have not seen the best of me and it's been a very frustrating two months. Even when I was playing before my injury, I would not say I was at my sharpest."

Duff is in the running for selection for tomorrow night's clash with Aston Villa after recovering from surgery on a knee cartilage. He made an aborted comeback last month, but is now ready to give Glenn Roeder the kind of service for which he invested so heavily.