Keegan famously came out after the defeat to Chelsea earlier this month and said the top four would be out of United's reach during his second spell as manager.

But after watching from afar, former Newcastle star Solano thinks Keegan may be under-selling himself.

The 33-year-old midfielder, now at West Ham, played in the Champions League for Newcastle under Sir Bobby Robson, and is backing Keegan to guide his old club back in to Europe's elite.

He said: "Of all the memories I have of Newcastle United, none are better than the Champions League, and I do not see why my old club should not get back into it under Kevin Keegan.

"Obviously I wasn't around when he was at St James's Park as a manager the first time, and I don't really know him.

"But when I was on the bench against Newcastle at Upton Park at the end of the season I watched him closely, especially when West Ham were two goals up.

"He clearly still had faith in his team, and just as important his players all had faith in him, and to tell the truth I cannot remember many teams in the Premier League coming back after being two goals down.

"But Newcastle did that day, and in the end they could even have won it, and a lot of it was down to the impact Kevin Keegan had on them ."

Solano has great memories of playing in the Champions League, particularly the great run Newcastle went on after losing their first three games of the 2002/03 competition.

He added: "I have had a good career, and one of the highlights has to be that season five years ago under Sir Bobby Robson.

"I was on the bench when Craig Bellamy almost beat Feyenoord on his own to take us through to the next stage, and I played in the San Siro when we came away disappointed at just achieving a 2-2 draw with Inter Milan on their own ground.

"Obviously I am a West Ham player now, and my ambitions are all with them, but I would love to see my old team back in the Champions League, and if there is one man who can take them there, that man is Kevin Keegan, although it is going to be very difficult for anyone to break the current top four's monopoly."

Solano, who left Newcastle because his family were based in London, only appeared for a couple of minutes as a substitute against United at the end of the season, but this was still enough for him to receive a tremendous reception from the travelling Toon Army.