Former Premier League striker and occasional BT Sport pundit Kevin Campbell has heralded Joelinton as Newcastle’s “most consistent performer”.
The Brazilian has been hailed in the past by BBC pundit Garth Crooks (via NUFCblog) for being a ‘revelation’ under Eddie Howe, and he continues to gain plaudits.
Signed as a striker for a then club-record £40m, Joelinton’s spell on Tyneside appeared to be coming to a sorry conclusion before Howe arrived. However, since being transformed into a hard-working, robust midfielder, the 26-year-old has been the most-used player since the change of management last season.
In an interview with Toon icon Alan Shearer, the Magpies manager hailed Joelinton for his ‘dramatic’ improvement and dubbed him an ‘outstanding talent’ (The Athletic).
Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell has lauded Howe’s managerial intuition in changing the Brazilian’s role in the team.
The Sky Sports pundit said: “Not all managers are the same, and not every manager would have seen what Howe saw.
“They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What he’s did is see potential in Joelinton’s abilities and how that could help with the way he wanted to play at Newcastle.
“I’m sure Joelinton is delighted. Because as a centre-forward, it looked like it was never going to work out.
“It looked like Newcastle had bought a dud, but I tell you what – in midfield, he has been absolute dynamite.
“If you’d have told me before Howe that he would play there, I’d have said there’s no chance. But he’s been arguably Newcastle’s most consistent performer for the last year or so.”
Joelinton has become crucial for Newcastle
Joelinton was named as Newcastle’s Player of the Year last season and has been an ever-present in Howe’s side in the Premier League so far this term.
So far in the current campaign the £80k-per-week dynamo is averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.23, ranking first among midfielders at St James’ Park and fifth compared to his team-mates in the top flight.
He ranks second for dribbles, tackles and interceptions per game while also leading the way for key passes per 90 minutes (WhoScored) as he continues to evolve into an all-round midfield general, and it seems that he is finally winning over critics and supporters alike, having overcome a turbulent start to his career on Tyneside.
