Martins was signed by Roeder from Inter Milan for £10million last summer and went on to score 17 goals in his debut season in England.

Sam Allardyce, who succeeded Roeder, has overhauled the way Newcastle's backroom staff are organised, installing a new sports science team, and Martins has been impressed.

He said: 'There's a new manager and new players and it's changed for the better.

'This season we spend a lot of time on tactics. It all seems very different. We have training and then after that, the manager takes us to one side and teaches us how to move and work tactically.

'Everyone's enjoying the new approach and looking forward to the season. Everyone wants a place in the team. Everything has changed.

'We do homework after games and it's helpful. It's something I am used to from my time at Inter Milan but it's not something we really did last season. Different managers have their own ideas.'