Soccer-Keeping Coloccini was best deal, says Newcastle boss

Aug 24 (Reuters) - Newcastle United manager Steve McClaren said the best bit of business the Magpies did during the close season was convincing captain Fabricio Coloccini, who was heavily linked with a move to Crystal Palace, to sign a one-year contract extension. Coloccini was a rock at the heart of Newcastle's defence, along with equally-impressive centreback Steven Taylor, as Newcastle surprisingly held Manchester United to a goalless draw on Saturday. "There was a point in the summer where we thought he (Coloccini) might well be going. Most definitely," McClaren was quoted as saying by the Chronicle. "There were offers on the table, but the club has done great to address that situation and keep him. "They've done that, and deep down, I think he always wanted to finish his career at Newcastle. "There's been a lot of talk about signings this summer, but for me, that (Coloccini) was the best one," the 54-year-old added. Coloccini said he was pleased the Magpies recorded their first clean sheet of the season at Old Trafford and praised the team for defending as a unit. "It is a great point for us. Getting a clean sheet is very important and we will keep working in this way because it looks like we are going in the right direction," the 33-year-old Argentine told the club website (www.nufc.co.uk). "It is not just about the four defenders and the goalkeeper -- defending is about the whole team and we did that well today. "From the striker all the way back to (goalkeeper) Tim (Krul), we worked very hard for each other," the Argentina international said. (Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru. Editing by Patrick Johnston)