The 24-year-old Ivory Coast international is already winning rave reviews on Tyneside for his performances as Chris Hughton's midfield enforcer following a summer move from Dutch side FC Twente. He has been compared favourably to Chelsea and Ghana star Essien, and that is a label he takes as both a compliment and a challenge. Answering questions submitted by fans to the club's official website, Tiote said: "Obviously, I'm only young, but to be compared to Michael Essien is quite a compliment. "I'm very proud to be spoken of like that. I've always watched Michael Essien as a role model in midfield and one day I hope to be as good as him - or even better!" Tiote was part of the Twente squad which won the Dutch Eredivisie title under former Middlesbrough and England boss Steve McClaren last season, and played every minute of his country's short-lived World Cup campaign in South Africa. He headed for the Premier League after being assured by McClaren that he has what it takes to succeed in England, and he has not been disappointed. He said: "Back in Holland, I always watched the Premier League and I really enjoyed watching it, so to now be playing in it is an achievement for me. "My manager at FC Twente was Steve McClaren, and he said to me that my style is suited to the English game, so as soon as Newcastle were interested, I jumped at the possibility of playing for them." Tiote's robust approach and seemingly boundless energy levels have made him an instant hit with Newcastle's fans, but it is a hunger to succeed which drives the player on. He said: "I started playing aged 12, in Africa. Everybody knows that the conditions there are not the best, but you must have the desire and mental strength to get over it. "That's what made me who I am today. You need to just keep working hard and believe in your ability. "In Africa, when I started playing football, I didn't have any boots, so that meant I worked very hard on my technique, which helped me when I did wear boots from the age of about 15."
