The 32-year-old kicked-off the month by penning a contract extension, keeping him at St. James' Park until the summer of 2025.

And he finished January in style, too, netting a memorable brace as the Magpies recorded an impressive 3-1 away victory over Aston Villa.

"The past few days in particular have been special, with the win and the goals at Villa - following on from the new contract, it's been a pretty good month personally," he said.

"As a group, hopefully we can continue to progress for the rest of the season."

Voted for by fans, Schär becomes the first defender to earn a Sela Player of the Month award during the 2023/24 season.

While collecting the accolade, he attributed his recent form to a strong connection with the supporters.

"For me, the fans are the most important part of Newcastle United," added the Switzerland international.

"The support they show us is incredible - I've felt that since the day I joined. They're the main reason I'm so proud to play for this club."

A recent display from Wor Flags in the match against Manchester City at St. James' Park suggests that the feeling is mutual between Schär and the fans.

"I honestly wasn't expecting it so that was a really special moment for me. I felt so valued by the support," he said.

"It gave me goosebumps and left me speechless. It was really nice and a great gesture from them. I've been here a while now, so I hope they know how much it meant to me."

Schär is determined to ensure that January is reflected upon as an important period for the club, come the end of the season, as he aims to build on a progressive month.

"We had a few big games, including the derby win which gave the fans something to celebrate," he added. "The last two away matches will also hopefully be huge for us when we're looking back at the end of the season.

"If we can build on that, the rest of the campaign will be really positive. The games are coming quickly and it's going to be tough, so we have to keep moving and place focus straight onto the next match."

Voting for the Sela Player of the Month takes place after every match in the club's post-match email.

To ensure you receive the post-match email - which includes highlights, interviews, stats from the game and more - make sure you have 'news' ticked within preferences in your Newcastle United account. If you don't have an account, you can sign up here.