Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson has claimed Nick Pope has been the Magpies’ player of the season so far.
Speaking on The Footballer’s Football Podcast with West Ham United’s Michail Antonio, the Toon no.9 lavished praise on the goalkeeper, claiming he’s kept them in the race for a place in the top-four.
“To be fair, I think obviously Nick is a top lad. He’s a really nice guy,” Wilson said.
“So, I’m so happy for him that he’s keeping clean sheets, he’s getting records for himself, and we want him to get the golden glove.
“That’s something that will be in his mind and as a team. The defence is doing so well, the boys are buzzing off of clean sheets. That’s a mentality, and if that keeps going, it breeds confidence.
“I think that’s nine clean sheets in a row now, which is unbelievable.
“The boys at the back deserve a special mention and I’d say Nick has been our player of the season so far this year.
“He’s kept us in games when we needed him. Against Crystal Palace, he’s pulled off a worldie. So yeah, he’s an important part of the puzzle at the moment.”
Wilson says Pope has been Newcastle’s player of the season
Having only arrived at St James’ Park in the summer in a deal worth £10m, Pope could arguably be Eddie Howe’s best signing on Tyneside.
The 30-year-old was absolutely emphatic in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Southampton this week, during which he made two incredible saves in the latter stages of the game.
After this victory, Saints manager Nathan Jones hailed praise on the Toon shot-stopper, claiming he is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League.
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer seems to agree, having taken to Twitter to laud the summer signing.
Going forward, Pope will continue to play a huge part in Howe’s plans.
At the moment, the England international is in with a shout of winning the side’s player of the season award. However, the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman may have something to say about this.