Eddie Howe has been discussing Joe Willock’s return from injury and his vital importance to this Newcastle United side.
After overcoming recent issues that left him “incredibly frustrated”, the boss has hailed his “box-to-box” ability, pace and goal threat, feeling the 25-year-old bring a “totally different feel” to our midfield.
Willock started on the left-side of our midfield three over last week’s wins over Chelsea and Arsenal. It was a relief to see him come through both games unscathed and proof of the new dynamic he’s brought to the side, with Willock and Joelinton combining superbly down our left.
Speaking to the Shields Gazette about Willock’s battle with injuries and recent return to full fitness, Howe said: “Joe has had a tough time with injuries, It looked like a serious hamstring injury when he did it [against Brighton] and then he had complications in other areas of his body and it hasn’t been easy for him.
“He’s had a lot of moments where he has been incredibly frustrated that he hasn’t been able to kick-on and get to the levels we saw of him. I thought [vs Chelsea] was his best game since his comeback, physically he looked really really good, that’s a major part of his armoury.
“His ability to run box-to-box quickly, his ability to sense where the ball is and run. That’s Joe at his best and I was really pleased to see it because he’s been a big miss for us because he adds a totally different feel to our midfield and he’s a goal threat.”
Injuries limited the former Gunners talent to just nine Premier League outings last season and it’s been a stop-start campaign so far. However, there’s no doubt he adds something different to our pool of midfielders, offering that pace, ball-carrying ability and goal threat that we don’t always get from Bruno, Longstaff or Tonali.
