By Dan Moffat and Matthew Connelly
Jacob Ramsey endured an arduous start to his Newcastle United career.
The English midfielder joined Newcastle from Aston Villa in August 2025, to the tune of £39 million, to bolster Newcastle’s midfield ahead of another season competing in four competitions.
But his arrival was somewhat overshadowed by the Alexander Isak transfer saga that stretched into early September, and since then, it has felt like the midfielder has been playing catch-up after a tricky first few months in the North East.
But after an impressive run in the first team, are Newcastle fans beginning to see what the young midfielder can bring to the table?
A difficult start
Ramsey made cameo appearances in his first two games against his former club Villa, and Liverpool, but picked up an ankle injury away to Leeds, ruling him out until October.
With the strength in depth the Magpies have in midfield, Ramsey had limited game time upon returning to the side, and wouldn’t play a full 90 minutes until the beginning of December against Burnley in a 2-1 win at St James’ Park.
During the busy festive period, Ramsey would still spend most of his time sitting on the bench.
But after Joelinton picked up an injury in a 2-0 home defeat against Aston Villa, and with injuries to the likes of Lewis Miley and Bruno Guimaraes, Ramsey was able to slot back into the side, and has begun proving his worth to Eddie Howe.
Coming back into the fold
Following the defeat to Villa, Newcastle travelled to Paris to face current Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain.
The game was expected to be a tough test for the Magpies, given their inconsistent form heading into the tie, but Ramsey was a key component of the midfield as they came away with a point at the Parc des Princes.
While the 24-year-old is seen as more of an attacking outlet, to play in Howe’s midfield, you must be able to do it all, and in this game, he showed his defensive prowess.
Following the game in the French capital, Eddie Howe’s side would lose three in a row against Liverpool, Manchester City, and Brentford before a trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Magpies headed to North London to take on a struggling Spurs side in the Premier League, knowing that they needed to turn their form around.
What followed was a relatively comfortable away victory in which Ramsey was vital for the Magpies, scoring his first goal for the club as Newcastle took all three points back north.
In a press conference a few days later, ahead of their FA Cup tie against Villa, Howe claimed that this had been a big turning point for Ramsey.
In their most recent Premier League outing against Man City, Ramsey grabbed his first assist for the club as he set up Lewis Hall’s equaliser.
Despite suffering defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side, Ramsey showcased another all-around performance.
Tactical fit
When Ramsey joined Newcastle, many fans believed he had been brought in to fill the void of a technical ‘number 10’.
But while the Magpies have been crying out for that sort of player for a few years, Ramsey wasn’t brought in to do that job.
Initially, Jacob Ramsey didn’t really have a role to call his own in Eddie Howe’s system. In fact, he was often thrown into the mix as more of a last-ditch attempt to shore up a game or conjure up some late chances.
But thanks to a mini injury crisis in the Newcastle midfield, Ramsey’s role has become pivotal to the upturn in form the club has enjoyed in recent weeks.
The former Villa man has made the left eight position his own, with the intricate rotational play between him and Sandro Tonali playing a big part in his return to the starting eleven.
Ramsey has found further success in dropping to the number six position during buildup play and maintaining possession. His ability to be neat and tidy, keeping the ball under duress, and calming down the possession when Newcastle are under pressure helping to further solidify the midfield.
Ramsey has also proven himself as a very adept defensive contributor, often using his exceptional work rate and game understanding to anchor opposition counterattacks, often providing blocks, interceptions and tackles to break up threatening build-up play.
All of those skills have seen him emerge as an important part of Newcastle’s system in recent weeks. When Bruno returns from his knock, Ramsey’s position may once more be clouded with uncertainty.
But with the standard of performances Ramsey has been putting in, there is an argument to be made that he has laid claim to one of Newcastle’s three centre midfield positions, no matter who is fully fit.
