Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has heaped praise on new signing Sven Botman as he shows ‘real ability’ in his debut in a 3-0 friendly victory over 1860 Munich.
The defender was subbed on in the second half for captain Jamaal Lascelles and his quality was clear to see from the moment he stepped on the pitch, showing calmness and composure in possession throughout.
Howe revealed that the Dutchman has ‘settled in very well to the group’ since his arrival from Lille last month and will no doubt be a key member to our 2022/23 Premier League campaign.
Speaking to the Shields Gazette, here’s what the manager had to say about our new £35m man, praising his physical and technical ability:
“Really pleased to get the deal done, it’s no secret we’ve been chasing him for a long time. Real ability, I think you saw that today.
“He’s a presence. He’s a really good size, his technical ability has been evident from day one in pre-season. His ability to play not just long passes, but short passes.
“He’s very, very composed. I think he’s settled in very well to the group. He’s a very likeable person, very laid back and calm.
“I’ve been very pleased with his impact on the group in a short period of time. I think he’ll be very pleased with today.”
It’s no surprise that the second half – when the likes of Botman, Trippier and Bruno all entered the game – was a much better performance than the first, and where we managed to score all three of our goals.
It’s a very confident start to life at Newcastle for the 22-year-old and we can only hope that he can keep growing into the season and become a top quality Premier League defender.
