Eddie Howe confirms £10m Newcastle United star is totally free of injury now

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Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is delighted with Nick Pope’s return to form for the club.

Pope has already kept five clean sheets at Newcastle United this season and, as such, has kept new signing Aaron Ramsdale out of the team.

No one in the Premier League has more clean sheets than the 33-year-old (4) this season, while the former Burnley stopper has amassed the fifth-highest save percentage out of all the goalkeepers who have started six games or more thus far.

While Pope was criticised following Newcastle’s loss to Arsenal, it’s worth remembering that he also kept his side in the contest for much of the game with a string of fine saves.

Howe, who also tried to sign James Trafford this summer prior to Ramsdale’s arrival, has been full of praise. 

• Who is Nick Pope? Get to know the Newcastle United No.1 goalkeeper

Eddie Howe praises Nick Pope at Newcastle United

The Newcastle United manager firmly believes the England international has shaken off the shoulder injuries that have ruled him out of a total of 38 games over the past two seasons.

Pope‘s form this season has played a big part in Newcastle boasting the joint-second best defensive record in the Premier League heading into Sunday’s round of fixtures.

With Newcastle struggling to score goals, that has been hugely important in stopping the start of the campaign verging into a crisis. 

“When you look back at Nick’s seasons, the shoulder injury was a very, very difficult moment for him because for any goalkeeper, if you injure any part of your upper limbs, it’s difficult,” said Howe (via The Northern Echo).

“So it took him a period of time to get back to his very best. But I think we’re seeing that now.

“I think he’s been very, very good, made a number of great saves for us. His form has been crucial and will always be crucial because your goalkeeper gives the whole team confidence if he’s performing in a really positive way, so congratulations for how he’s started the season.

“The tests the goalkeepers are under now with set-plays, with all the data that the other clubs have is extreme, but he’s standing up very well to that.”

Nick Pope’s subtle hint about his Newcastle United future

Pope told Newcastle he wanted to stay at the club earlier this summer despite links with the likes of Leeds during the Trafford speculation.

Still, the goalkeeper – who recently made his 100^th appearance for the club – is out of contract at the end of the season. 

That means a decision must soon be taken on whether to extend his stay, although it’s not clear whether either party have an option to trigger a clause that would do exactly that. Considering Howe’s comments, it seems safe to assume Newcastle want him to stay.

That feeling appears to be mutual, too. Last month, Pope suggested he could spend the rest of his career at Newcastle.

“It was always far from my thoughts to leave, but there was no doubt in my mind about playing for anyone but Newcastle United,” he said.

“I could quite easily finish my career with Newcastle, I don’t want to sound like an idiot but I feel like I am a really good goalkeeper and have played a lot of Premier League games.

“I know myself and I am looking forward to things now, we go into the Champions League again and that’s where I want to play.”

Newcastle paid £10million to sign Pope from Burnley in 2022 and he has since kept 40 clean sheets during his time on Tyneside.