Newcastle United striker Ayoze Perez has said that his side are "close" to Premier League survival after their win over Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

Spanish forward Perez struck late on to hand the Magpies a win which lifted Rafael Benitez's side to 12th in the table, seven points clear of the relegation zone.

The striker told The Mirror that Newcastle must remain focused and avoid further mistakes if they are to secure their top-flight status for next season.

"Coming up from the Championship, the first season is always really tough and we've been working really hard and playing as a team and finally put ourselves in a great position," Perez said. "This kind of goal, this kind of situation, means a lot to me. It's really enjoyable.

"We're seven points clear of the bottom three, which is a great distance, but there are still games to play and we have to keep going. Nobody in the dressing-room is saying we're safe, but this is a big step. We're close, really close and we know that and it's a good feeling, but the job is not done.

"There are still a lot of games to play and a lot of points to play for. It's important for us to be in this position and it's a very strong one, but we need to make sure we do the job and that our main target is done as quickly as possible."

Newcastle play Leicester City in their next league fixture on Saturday.