One of the major success stories at Newcastle United has been the transformation of a certain Joelinton.
Derided as a flop following a £40m move in the summer of 2019, the 26-year-old is now a fully-fledged Brazilian international.
That, in large part, is down to Eddie Howe.
It was he who made what was then Newcastle’s most expensive player in history into a central midfielder, sparking a sensational turnaround in fortune.
Now able to play there as well as out wide, Joelinton has so many strings to his bow that £40m is looking like something of a bargain.
Now, Bruno Guimaraes has spoken of his teammate’s rebirth.
Bruno Guimaraes thanks Eddie Howe for turning Joelinton into a star
Great friends and now international teammates of course, Guimaraes has thanked Howe for helping turn his compatriot into the player he is today.
Two of Newcastle’s most important players, Guimaraes seemingly believes it would not have been possible without Howe’s input.
Speaking to The Athletic, Guimaraes said: “I am so proud of him, so happy for him. I am with him every day. I see how hard he works.
“We have to say thank you for Eddie, every day! Eddie has been so important for Jo.”
Underlines the scale of the job Howe has done
Money simply cannot buy that kind of recognition.
For a top player in Guimaraes to acknowledge the coaching work done on another player in the squad says so much about just how far-reaching Howe’s impact actually is.
To have impressed one player by his work with another, the Newcastle manager must carry an awful lot of weight on the coaching field.
Indeed, he’s working with big time internationals playing at the absolute top level and still managing to impress.
Such has been the quickfire success of the team, perhaps only when Howe leaves Newcastle eventually will we properly take stock about how he’s transformed the club.
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