There is plenty of reason for Eddie Howe to be optimistic after Newcastle United’s friendly win over Urawa Red Diamonds.
The Magpies won 4-1 on Wednesday, as they kicked off their pre-season tour of Japan with a victory over their J1 League opponents.
There were some impressive performances, with Jacob Murphy grabbing a brace. He now has four goals this summer, at a time when Newcastle United are looking to sign a new right winger.
Elsewhere, Nick Pope showed how important he is to Newcastle, while Lewis Hall suggested he could be a regular starter this season.
There are plenty of positives to take, but the biggest might be Joe Willock’s performance.
Joe Willock shines in Newcastle win
For the first time since April, Joe Willock played for Newcastle United on Wednesday.
It was his first appearance after injury, having missed the Magpies’ previous two friendlies. He also missed the end of last season, with Newcastle making the decision that he needed to fully get over his Achilles issue.
Hopefully that is now the case, with the £25million midfielder playing 45 minutes against Urawa Red Diamonds.
It was an impressive 45 minutes too, with Willock playing a key role in Newcastle’s opening two goals. The first came from his neat through ball towards Isak, while the second came from his bursting run towards goal and pass into Murphy.
Eddie Howe delighted to see ‘massive’ Joe Willock back
Willock did really well, and Eddie Howe believes this is just the beginning for a player who Newcastle United have missed terribly over the past 12 months.
Howe spoke to the Shields Gazette about Willock following the win over Urawa Reds.
“I think Joe will be the first to admit that there is more to come,” he said.
“He’s had some good training with us, he’s been training for a period of time but there is nothing like games – that is the only thing that can take your game back to where it was.
“Today was his first taste, 45 minutes was planned for him and Sean [Longstaff] tonight. Pleased that both came through with no problems.
“You can see his qualities, the assist for the first goal, the breaks from midfield, the energetic the box-to-box ability – he’s a goal threat and goal creator as well. Massive player, we’ve missed him and that was his first steps back today.”
Willock adds a different dimension to the Newcastle midfield
Last season was extremely difficult without Willock. He was only fit enough to make 14 appearances, amidst what proved to be a gruelling season for the Magpies.
Howe’s midfield struggled a lot at times, and that was partially down to the absence of Willock. He offers something different to Newcastle’s other midfielders, boasting the ability to glide with the ball and be a difference-maker in the final third.
That ability was on display on Wednesday, as Willock continuously aimed to link up with Alexander Isak. They have great chemistry together, and it resulted in Newcastle taking the lead within a couple of minutes.
It was an impressive return to action for Willock, who must keep building up his match fitness. This is a massive season for him, as he aims to make up for lost time.
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