Eddie Howe insists that letting Callum Wilson go last summer was the right decision for Newcastle United - even if his former No 9 would be playing regular football for the Magpies this season.

The ex-England international pondered a pay-as-you-play deal at Newcastle last summer before opting for a free transfer switch to West Ham.

But within days of signing for Newcastle, Yoane Wissa, who took Wilson's shirt off him, sustained a serious knee injury, leaving Howe short of a centre-forward and meaning that his ex-Bournemouth battler would have walked back into the squad on Tyneside.

As Howe prepares to greet a familiar face at the London Stadium this weekend, he said: "Sometimes for everybody it is best to part ways. That is the sad thing in life and football.

"You can't stay together forever but I wish him well and I am watching him and hope for the best.

"My love for Callum is...