Steve Harper feels for Tim Krul after Newcastle keeper suffers "awful" injury

Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Steve Harper has offered his sympathy to Tim Krul after the Dutchman suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury.

The Magpies shot-stopper has been ruled out for the rest of the season after injuring himself during the Netherlands' 2-1 victory over Kazakhstan on Saturday.

"It is an awful injury," Harper told Sky Sports News. "People say that breaks are better than cruciate injuries and he has got to write off the rest of the season and concentrate on getting himself right.

"He has had one or two injuries recently as well so just when he was looking forward to getting back to top form it has come at an awful time.

"He won't be a good patient, knowing him. He'll be like a bear with a sore head in and around the training ground and medical room but I wish him a speedy and full recovery."

Harper was a Newcastle player from 1993 to 2013.