Krul joins Ajax on loan after signing new Newcastle deal

Newcastle United goalkeeper Tim Krul has joined Ajax on a season-long loan following Jasper Cillessen's move to Barcelona.

Krul has also signed a one-year contract extension at St James' Park that will keep him on the club's books until 2018.

The loss of Cillessen to Barca left Ajax needing to quickly fill their number-one jersey, and Krul - who moved to Tyneside from ADO Den Haag in 2005 - is relishing the challenge after being relegated with Newcastle at the end of last season.

"I don't think many clubs are equivalent to Newcastle. Ajax is in that category," he told the Eredivisie outfit's official website.

"Ajax is a club with many talents and I look forward to passing on the experience I have accumulated over the past decade.

"When I got the text from [director of football] Marc Overmars I was very grateful. Ajax is a great club.

"I think it's always good to play with the national team at the Amsterdam ArenA. That I will play here soon with Ajax is just fantastic."

Krul has been sidelined since October with a knee ligament injury, but is feeling positive about his recovery.

"It's going well," he added. "I'm currently working on the pitch with the goalkeeping coach and then I will slowly join the group. We will look at it every day.

"I should probably play a few games with the second team because match practice is different to training."

Krul famously replaced Cillessen in the last minute of extra-time during Netherlands' 2014 World Cup quarter-final against Costa Rica.

The 28-year-old justified Louis van Gaal's call by saving two penalties as the Dutch went through in the shoot-out.