Newcastle fans love a winger. From David Ginola to Nolberto Solano, we’ve had our fair share of fan favourites from out wide.
In 2021, it’s Allan Saint-Maximin who gets the fans off their seats (at home, sadly).
The Frenchman won fans over immediately with his outrageous skill, and he quickly became a talisman in black and white.
He was at his best against Southampton, running past players whilst helping himself to two assists.
And former Newcastle player Ryan Taylor has compared him to one of his former teammates – Jonas Gutierrez.
Speaking on the GallowgateShots YouTube channel, Taylor was asked which current Toon player he would like to have played with, and he immediately answered ‘Saint-Maximin’.
“I can see why a lot of them give him the ball because he will hold on to it and he’ll take two, three players with him and it gives you a bit more space,” Taylor said (1:47:19).
He went on to add: “He’s a bit Jonas [Gutierrez] like, that I don’t know what he’s going to do. And that was the same with Jonas.”
Can ASM surpass modern day Toon legend Jonas?
You can see why Taylor has compared ASM to Jonas. Both players are exceptional dribblers, often going past players like they weren’t even there.
Often when Jonas got the ball, he’d be surrounded by three players, yet somehow he’d retain possession.
Saint-Maximin is just like that, as sometimes it looks as though the ball is glued to his feet.
The one thing that held Jonas back was his end product, but his work rate couldn’t be denied. And after everything he went through and how his time at the club ended, he will be remembered as a modern day Newcastle legend.
As for Saint-Maximin, he’s in the process of creating his own legacy. If he can become more consistent and influence games in more dangerous areas, the sky is the limit.
Speaking of Taylor, we could certainly do with him back at the club, as no one in a Magpies shirt seems to know how to take a free kick right now.
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