Mehrdad Ghodoussi’s birthday message that Newcastle fans will love

Newcastle co-owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi expressed his joy at what he described as the ‘best birthday present’ following the club's 1-0 victory over Aston Villa.

The Magpies won their third straight Premier League win in front of a raucous St James’ Park crowd to climb four points clear of the relegation zone.

The victory came just days after Eddie Howe’s side battered Everton 3-1 on home soil, with momentum finally starting to build on Tyneside.

Ghodoussi - husband of fellow co-owner Amanda Staveley - could not make the game as he celebrated his 51st birthday.

The pair have been ever-presents in the stands since the £300million Saudi-led takeover was completed in October.

Both consortium members have also regularly attended Newcastle United Women’s fixtures - a far cry from what Toon fans witnessed under the previous regime.

Despite watching Sunday’s win from afar, the result still clearly meant a lot to Ghodoussi as the Magpies took another step towards survival.

Newcastle fans responded by wishing their co-owner a happy birthday on Twitter.

@NicholasKee10: Happy Birthday! And thank you for helping our beloved club! You and Amanda give us the hope!

@Nathaniel_fff: Happy birthday to the best owner in the world

@Todd_swain: Make sure it’s a birthday week, another 3 pts vs West Ham would be a perfect end to it.

@shizzlebiscuit: You and your wonderful wife have given us something so much better and more precious . . . . . you got our club back and for that we owe undying gratitude #mehrdadandmandysmags