Eddie Howe has paid tribute to Joelinton after the Brazilian signed a long-term deal on Tyneside this week, discussing how he wowed him in early training sessions and his physical transformation.
Speaking to the media on Friday, the boss revealed how he was left “confused” by his previous struggles when the striker-turned-midfielder immediately wowed Howe during their first training session together.
He also discusses his change in stature, with it noticeable how the 27-year-old has bulked up from his arrival in 2019 to today. Howe described him as a “brick wall” in training. “You can’t move him!”, he said when speaking to Sky Sports’ Keith Downie. Watch what he had to say below, followed by his quotes in full:
"He's taken the opportunity very well" 🤝
Eddie Howe on the progress that Newcastle midfielder Joelinton has made at the club 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/oz7DiAEcBS
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 12, 2024
“I always go back to my first training session with him. I genuinely thought after that first training session, ‘What a player he is’.
“That then led very quickly to me being confused about why his time here hadn’t been a success. You could tell straight away he was a player who was immensely talented, although obviously, I was aware coming in that it hadn’t gone well for him.”
“I’m not going to change history or pretend to be clever and say that I saw his transition to a midfielder initially. We stumbled upon that, and since then, he’s taken the opportunity to play in that position superbly well.
“He’s looked like a natural midfielder from the minute he stepped into that position. I know at previous clubs he had played in a deeper role, but that was more as a number one. This is a big positional change because the defensive aspect of being a midfielder is totally different to being a number ten.
“His defensive qualities have been as good as his attacking ones, and that’s why he’s the all-round midfielder that he is now. He deserves huge credit for that transition. It’s not easy to do, but he’s done it brilliantly.”
Discussing his physical stature and how much he’s bulked up since arriving from Hoffenheim, Howe added: “That transition probably comes from playing in England as well. The speed and the strength of the game here. You have to adapt to it. But Joe does pride himself on behind the athlete he is. When I come up against him in training, he’s like a brick wall – you can’t move him! And that’s partly what’s made him the player he is.”
Howe was then asked if a new deal for Joelinton was a signal of our ambition, adding that it’s a huge positive but a move that will impact our ‘FFP sheet’ after offering out another pay rise:
“It certainly helps. It helps with the perception of our ambition, and shows that we’re still desperate to grow and improve. For me, to do that you have to try to keep your best players, you have to try to create something that everyone wants to be part of. This is about trying to retain your best players and give yourselves the best chance to be successful long-term.”
“I say this about a lot of the players we have. They’re not easy to find replacements for. Joe would be one of those. He’s 6ft 3in, he plays different positions, he’s strong, he’s quick, he scores goals, he’s competitive, he’s got a great attitude. Those players aren’t around to recruit easily. That’s why we’ve got to treasure the good ones we have.
“Of course, something like this will have ramifications. You’re potentially lifting wages, and that has an impact on your Financial Fair Play sheet. But the alternative is that Joe leaves on a free transfer, which for a player of his quality, would be really bad business from us. I think what has happened has alleviated that problem. But, of course, it maybe gives you problems elsewhere that you need to fix.”
