What with the trials of Joey Barton and tribulations in the transfer market, it has been a testing summer for Newcastle United, but some perspective was provided recently. Nine days ago, Obafemi Martins was telephoned by his sisters in Lagos with the news that their mother had died suddenly. “She was everything to me,” the striker said yesterday.

Alhaja Monsurat Martins, 62, is reported to have died of shock when a petrol tanker burst into flames near her apartment. Given compassionate leave by his club, Martins flew to his native Nigeria for the funeral. Resolutely professional, he returned in time to accompany the Newcastle squad on their pre-season tour to Majorca, even though a knee injury will prevent him from playing.

“I am in shock,” Martins said. “I never expected she would die now. A day before she died, we spoke at length about her dreams and aspirations for the people living around our house at Orile Iganmu. My mother had planned to make her neighbours more comfortable. I will miss her dearly. She was my pillar and source of inspiration. Her presence brought a lot of goodwill to me.

“In fact, for me, after God, it was my mum. She was my life. I don’t know what I would have become without my mother.

“I never believed the story until I arrived in Lagos. When my sisters called and broke the news to me, I did not believe them. When they insisted, I had to go home to see for myself.”

Martins trained separately in the scorching heat at Real Mallorca’s training ground yesterday morning, jogging with Derek Wright, the Newcastle physiotherapist, while his team-mates stretched and limbered up in preparation for last night’s 1-0 friendly defeat to Hertha Berlin. Martins’s dedication earned a warm tribute from Kevin Keegan.

“His attitude has been absolutely fantastic,” the manager said. “He’s trained very, very hard and he’s been very focused. Obviously, his training was interrupted by the tragic death of his mother, but he came back quickly and went straight into training again. I’m delighted with all the players, but not least those who could cut corners, but have not. Oba is a credit to his family.”

Martins will also miss tomorrow’s game against Mallorca, but he and Michael Owen should be fit for PSV Eindhoven’s visit to St James’ Park on Wednesday. “Oba will not play here because he’s had an injection in his knee,” Keegan said. “He won’t play in these two games, but we still wanted him to come with us. He can do some running, and there are some nice runs where we are. It’s just time with Oba. He’s got to let this settle for four days.”

Newcastle have finally reached agreement with Deportivo La Coruña over the signing of Fabricio Coloccini, who will become Keegan’s fourth addition of a frustrating close season. After a long stand-off with the Spanish club, the 26-year-old Argentina centre back will cost the Tyneside club €12 million (about £9.5 million), a club-record fee for a defender.

Marcelo Lombilla, Coloccini’s agent, had threatened to report the La Liga club to Fifa over their handling of the transfer, accusing Augusto Lendoiro, the Deportivo president, of demanding more money when a settlement had already been negotiated. “There is an agreement between Deportivo and Newcastle,” Lombilla said.

Keegan did not elaborate, beyond saying that the transfer was “ongoing” and Coloccini “plays for Argentina, so he must be good”. He also refused to add to the brief statement that Newcastle issued in the wake of Barton’s FA charge for violent conduct over his training-ground assault on Ousmane Dabo, his former Manchester City team-mate. “A lot of people have had their say and everyone’s entitled to their opinions,” Keegan said. “All we’ve got to do is get Joey match-fit.”