Steve Harper says the Newcastle fans must stay patient with the side while they adapt to life in the Championship.

The Magpies lost their top-flight status last term but have been busy in the transfer market in a bid to ensure they do not suffer a similar fate this time around.

Keeping manager Rafael Benitez looks as if it could turn out to be a masterstroke and despite losing Andros Townsend and Georginio Wijnaldum, the signings of the likes of Matt Ritchie, Grant Hanley and Dwight Gayle have only added to the excitement surrounding the club.

Newcastle are currently the clear 2.88 favourites to win the Championship outright, with their nearest rivals in the betting, Norwich and Aston Villa, both priced at 10.00.

Having won the second tier the last time they were in the division in the 2009-10 campaign, expectations are again high for an immediate return to the Premier League.

Former goalkeeper Harper was part of that side and the 41-year-old is keen to play down the hype surrounding the club, insisting that the fans must be prepared to accept a few hiccups while Benitez’s men adapt to their new level.

“There are some good signs there,” he told Talk Sport. “They’ve lost Georginio Wijnaldum and the Championship is a tough league but they’ve made good signings and they’re rightly favourites – but it won’t be easy.

“We won it last time and people think it was easy because we won it by a dozen points or so but it wasn’t, it was tough.

You have to be streetwise and clever, hopefully Newcastle can be those things and get out of the Championship at the first attempt.”