Newcastle United have made plenty of signings this summer. To be honest, a lot of them have not had the desired impact. But then, there have been some who have done very well, perhaps even exceeding expectations.
There has been all this talk about the late signings of Nico Gonzalez and Matias Fernandez-Pardo. The Spaniard is already showing his quality. The Belgian is expected to be a starter very soon.
At the same time, Amar Dedic has been a revelation as well. Matthias Jaissle would have already known all about his qualities, having coached him in the past. But most English football fans would have seen his sparkling early performances coming.
Amid all this, there is one summer signing who has been a bit of an unsung hero for Newcastle United. But Jaissle has ensured that he gets his flowers in the media.
Matthias Jaissle openly praises Newcastle United summer signing
The player we are talking about is none other than Lukas Hornicek. The Magpies took a brave call this summer, replacing long-time number one Nick Pope.
In fact, Pope is not even being viewed as the second-choice goalkeeper this season. That role has gone to Ewen Jaouen. As a result, there has been pressure on Hornicek to deliver.
And he has done that. Hornicek has most certainly been one of Newcastle United’s best signings of the summer, and probably the most underappreciated.
Hornicek’s performances have not gone unnoticed by Jaissle though. According to The Shields Gazette, the Newcastle United manager said:
“Yeah, an amazing job so far. Amazing signing. A young lad as well.
“Not easy coming in the Premier League, performing already on a high level, dealing with the pressure as a keeper. It’s something else as well. So, we are really pleased and we hope that he can progress in the same way.”
Lukas Hornicek deserves the plaudits he has gotten from the manager
Of course, it is worth mentioning that these are still early days for Hornicek. The club have only played five games so far this season. And have not lost any with Hornicek between the posts.
Then again, it is about continuing to perform in the long run, not in spurts. Hopefully, Hornicek will show that consistency over the coming months and years.
He has the chance to be the Newcastle United number one for the next decade, if he can prove himself. Now, it is up to him to step up to the plate and get it done.
As for Newcastle United, they have to be pretty happy with their recruitment between the posts. This is one that they needed to get right and it looks like they have done so.
