Jamaal Lascelles has said that Newcastle United must do everything they can in order to keep "an excellent manager" at the club in Rafa Benitez.
Newcastle are 13th in the Premier League table and only four points from safety, and Benitez's relationship with owner Mike Ashley has become strained as the two clashed over transfers in each of the last two windows.
But Lascelles, the Newcastle captain, said Benitez remains the right man for the job.
"I think for a while now that the best thing that this club has done is brought the manager in," Lascelles told the Telegraph. "Since he has been here, things have been on the up. He has brought the club together and the city together.
"I think it's important that the club keeps him happy and holds on to him for as long as possible. He is an excellent manager. He has won trophies. He has worked in many different leagues and he knows what it takes to be successful. It has only been positive since he arrived."
Newcastle appointed Benitez in March 2016, hoping the former Real Madrid coach would help avoid the drop, but they were relegated.
They returned to the Premier League this season but constant speculation over Benitez's future -- and that of Newcastle, the subject of takeover rumours last winter -- has clouded the club's bid for survival.
"It does feel like a stable club at the minute," Lascelles said. "We've got a manager who trusts us and he wants to be here. The fans are with him, so that's really important for the players."
