“As far as I’m concerned and the players and staff it’s a huge boost before tomorrow’s game and I hope our fans will continue today with a nice smile on their face and we continue that through Sunday evening,” Pardew, flanked by Coloccini and Krul, told a press conference this morning.

“Sometimes the most important players are the players you have already, and these guys sitting next to me have both got the chance of player of the year at this football club.

“They’ve been absolutely terrific and deserve their new contracts.”

Coloccini was delighted to have secured his future, and immediately set his sights on lifting a trophy during the period of his new deal.

He said: “We have now a long term to look forward and do things well to bring something good for the fans.

“I hope in these four years, we can win something for them and for the club.

“All the players want to do better for the club. We are doing really well and we have to keep going like this.”

The Magpies currently lie in sixth place in the Barclays Premier League table after building on a flying start to the campaign, to the surprise of many outside the club.

Coloccini said: “I am not surprised because we have confidence in our team, but from where we were two years ago, now we are fighting for a position at the top of the table.

“We have to keep going, working harder and hopefully at the end of the season speak about Europe.”

Krul too is targeting a strong finish to an already good campaign in which he has fully justified Pardew’s decision to install him as his number one goalkeeper.

The Dutchman said: “Of course committing Colo, our captain, is very important for me also because that just shows the way the club is heading at this stage.

“We are definitely heading the right way and I am really happy to commit my future for five years.

“Times are great at the moment. The spirit is high in the group and everyone is looking forward to tomorrow because it’s a huge, huge game to be involved in.”

Krul has spent much of the last six months or so being linked with some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs, but insists he had no qualms about extending his stay on Tyneside.

He said: “To be honest, I never really read the papers, but me committing my future here, I owe the club and I owe the manager a lot because he gave me the chance to play in the Premier League.

“To play for this club has always been my dream and I am going to do this for the next years to come. It’s onwards and upwards, really.”

Both men will now turn their attention back to tomorrow’s derby clash with Sunderland and the attempt to make a good week even better.

Coloccini said: “Every derby is very important, and more so in the situation we are in.

“I hope we can win then game and give a happy Sunday to the fans.”