Newcastle United winger Shane Ferguson wants to make a permanent impact at the club after recovering from his injury nightmare.

The 21-year-old missed the whole of pre-season following a series of problems, but has since made four top-flight appearances for the Magpies' first team.

Ferguson believes that, while an injury in pre-season wasn't ideal, he can help the team to improve.

"I was injured at the start of pre-season, and it's hard to get back. Pre-season's a bad time to get injured – you have to catch up with everyone," said Ferguson. "Thankfully, I'm getting fitter and stronger. I'm in the gym every day doing stuff with the fitness coaches.

"I just have to keep working hard now. That's what the manager wants me to do – stay fit and keep working hard in the gym. I'm doing all the extra stuff, and I've just got to make an impact whenever I get the chance.

"The manager's got a lot of faith in me, and I appreciate that loads. It's great he plays a lot of youngsters – he's got a lot of faith in the young lads. All the lads can show what they can do [in the Europa League], and it's great to see."

Newcastle host Swansea City in the Premier League on Saturday.