Eddie Howe says what was ‘difficult’ to see with Sandro Tonali while he was banned which is becoming clear now

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Sandro Tonali’s second chapter at Newcastle United looks like a major success story.

The midfielder is now absolutely flying while clad in Newcastle colours, having established himself as one of the team’s key players after Tonali was moved into the No.6 role by manager Eddie Howe.

Such has been the level of his impact, it’s incredible to think there were initial doubts about Tonali’s ability to play alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.

The former AC Milan star, of course, scored on his debut against Aston Villa back in 2023 but saw his form dip even before he was banned from football for ten months for breaking betting rules.

Still, the 24-year-old has now returned with a vengeance and is looking worth the wait.

Speaking about the player before Saturday’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth, Howe was full of praise.

Eddie Howe thinks Newcastle United struck gold with Sandro Tonali

Howe admitted Tonali’s ability to play as both a No.6 and a No.8 initially impressed him. The Newcastle boss went on to suggest the Italian international was in fact even an even better player than he first thought.

In fact, Howe believes the training Tonali was able to do while serving his ban actually helped him develop too.

He told a pre-match press conference: “For me, he’s multi-talented. The profile we were looking for is someone who can play multiple roles in midfield – not just one.

“He’s everything that I hoped he would be and more, really. I think he’s really improving all the time. The training he did in between with the ban, I hoped would pay dividends for him long-term.

“But without that match stimulus, I think it was always difficult to see how much he had evolved and changed during that time.

“Now, we’re seeing that there’s real growth in his performances.”

What Sandro Tonali really thinks about his Newcastle United career

Tonali has been linked with a return to Italy, although the player himself would appear to have other ideas.

Reports from iNews suggest people within the midfielder’s camp believe Tonali has a burning desire to repay Newcastle for standing by him during his ban.

Right now, he’s certainly playing like that.

Patience has been a virtue for both Tonali himself and Newcastle as a whole.