STEVE BRUCE turned to his old boss Sir Alex Ferguson for advice on his future at Newcastle.

Bruce was Fergie’s skipper at Manchester United and the pair have huge respect for each other that has remained in place down the decades.

So with Bruce fretting about his job under the new ownership, he sounded out Ferguson for guidance on how to handle the crisis.

Ferguson has always been a senior figure with huge League Managers Association knowledge and told Bruce to tough it out.

Bruce, 60, was sacked on Thursday by the Toon's controversial new Saudi owners.

Following his exit, the former Aston Villa and Sunderland boss admitted the strain of the job had 'taken its toll' on his family.

Reaction to his departure was mixed but Toon legend Alan Shearer and fan favourite Allan Saint-Maximin heaped praise on the veteran manager.

Shearer, 51, tweeted: "I know how tough it was for any manager at Newcastle for the last 14 years.

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"I also know how badly Steve & his family wanted it to work.

"In difficult circumstances for everybody, he kept #NUFC up for two seasons.

"It’s a new era now, but thank you, Steve, for your effort & commitment."

Saint-Maximin, accompanied by a picture of himself hugging Bruce, added: "You are, without a doubt, one of the most gentle people that I have ever met in the world of football.

"You have been a man of your word, a caring man and a fair man who never hesitated to protect us.

"I will never forget how you treated me, for that I will be forever grateful.

"It has been an honour and a privilege to have you as a coach, thank you Steve."

'I WAS REALLY SAD'

Following his exit, Bruce admitted he may retire from football after struggling with the abuse he received.

And Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta urged football authorities to protect managers.

The Spaniard said: "I was really sad after reading that statement from Steve.

"You're talking about somebody who has been in the game for over 40 years as a player and as a manager.

"I think we have to reflect. We can't take for granted and accept certain things because they are how they are. 

"No, we are here as well to improve them and change them, like we do with any rules, with any fixture list and we have with anything that we want to improve for our sport, fans, stadium, facilities and broadcasts.
 
"We're going to spend more time and we have an open table to discuss how we're going to do that because I think we have to think about the fact that one of the most experienced managers in England's history is telling you that in a letter. 

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"You can't just ignore that, so for me, it's a very serious statement and it's something that has to change and has to start to change."

Newcastle are in talks with former Roma boss Paulo Fonseca about taking over.

Bruce's assistant Graeme Jones is in temporary charge.

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