STEVE McCLAREN has urged Fabricio Coloccini to focus on his own job before helping the rest of his team-mates if he wants to grow in to a “terrific” Newcastle United captain.

Coloccini has worn the skipper’s armband since Kevin Nolan left the Magpies in the summer of 2011 and has had ups and downs during a period when there has been regular speculation surrounding his future.

Even during the summer there were suggestions he was angling for a move away from Tyneside, with Alan Pardew interested in taking him to Crystal Palace to be reunited with him and Yohan Cabaye at Selhurst Park.

In the end Coloccini signed a one-year extension to remain at St James’ Park until the end of next season at least, with McClaren desperate for the 33-year-old to play a lead role from the back.

The Newcastle centre-half has been inconsistent again this season, but there have been outings when he has shown his quality, which is what his head coach wants to see more often in attempts to see the team climb away from the bottom three.

McClaren said: “He leads by example. We’ve talked to him a lot about the responsibility and the role that he has within the team. Once he came back and committed to us and bought in, he’s been terrific.

“I think he’s becoming more vocal, and that’s something we’re encouraging. If we keep on this way, then we’ll be OK. He has to lead by example to gain that respect.

“He knows and we tell him – as captain, you have to make sure that you do your job first, and make sure you do it well. On Saturday, when we needed him, he was really top drawer.”

Coloccini was unfairly sent off during Newcastle’s 3-0 defeat at Sunderland last month and the Football Association overturned the decision, meaning he did not serve a ban.

It has meant staying in the side for the games with Stoke and Bournemouth, which has seen Newcastle collect four points from two games to climb out of the bottom three; having picked up seven points from the last 12 available to them.

Coloccini has been important in keeping two consecutive clean sheets going in to the international break – and McClaren wants the South American to continue in that form by looking at his own game rather than everyone else’s initially.

“I think Fabricio was terrific against Manchester United. It’s a collective thing, and maybe sometimes, Fabricio tries to plug the gaps of everybody. Sometimes, he tries to look after everybody instead of looking after his own game, and that can expose him.

“When Colo’s at his best, he concentrates on his job and I think that was the case on Saturday. He did that excellently, and it was a good job we had him.”

Coloccini has struggled to recapture the sort of form which earned him a place in the Professional Footballers’ Association team of the year in 2011, which was a key factor in Newcastle’s climb up to fifth in the Premier League and qualification for the Europa League.

McClaren can only dream of such a finish at this stage of his tenure, but he is determined to lead Newcastle up and away from relegation danger after winning just two of his first 12 league games.

Despite improvements in form, there is still a belief that Newcastle need extra options in attack to help them cause more problems to defences with fans questioning the merits of allowing teenage hot-shot Adam Armstrong to head out on loan.

Armstrong has scored 12 goals in 14 appearances at Coventry, where Tony Mowbray hopes to keep him to spearhead a League One promotion push after the turn of the year. Wolves boss Kenny Jackett, however, also plans a move for his services, and could look to do a permanent transfer deal.

But Mowbray said: “He’s doing really well and if he stays here all year he’ll still only be 19.

“If it was me I wouldn’t be in too much of a rush to burden an 18-year-old with keeping Newcastle United up. Ultimately, it’s their decision.

“I’m not in constant contact with Newcastle but the strong message we are getting is that they are pretty happy with the way things are going.”