Steve Bruce admits Eddie Howe has done something with £40m Newcastle player he never considered

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Ex-Newcastle United gaffer Steve Bruce has now spoken of what Eddie Howe has achieved with Joelinton that he never could.

Formerly Newcastle‘s most expensive signing, Joelinton was brought in to play as a striker and handed the number nine shirt on his arrival. This was despite the fact that the Brazilian played out wide for Hoffenheim as an attacking left-sided midfielder.

After arriving at Newcastle it became clear to pretty much everyone, except those inside the club, that Joelinton was absolutely not a striker.

Eddie Howe has transformed Joelinton at Newcastle

In fact it took a whole new manager and a fortuitous Ciaran Clark red card for Newcastle to find Joelinton’s best position.

Now speaking on Sam Allardyce‘s upcoming episode of the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Steve Bruce has spoken of how Eddie Howe has got the best out of the £40million Brazilian.

“When I was in charge I picked Joelinton every week, but I knew from the moment he joined the club that he wasn’t a natural goalscorer,” said Bruce. “As soon as you put the number nine shirt on someone at Newcastle they’ve got a lot to live up to, but when he played in Germany he played on the left-hand side of a front three. I watched him play against Manchester City once and he played on the left.

“When I came into Newcastle, the deal for Joelinton had already been done. The big thing I had to consider was the fact that he had come in as a £40 million player, the biggest signing in years for Newcastle, and he had the number nine shirt, but he wasn’t a natural goalscorer.

“We played him predominantly on the left and I have to be honest in saying that I never thought of playing him in midfield but he’s excelled there. In midfield, the onus isn’t on him to score the goals and if you look at his records from when he was younger he is not a prolific goalscorer, but he’s a brilliant footballer and a great lad with a great attitude.”

Something doesn’t add up here

So basically, Steve Bruce knew Joelinton wasn’t a striker but kept playing him as a striker because the club paid £40million? If that doesn’t just sum up Steve Bruce at Newcastle I don’t know what does.

Scared of trying anything new, terrified of upsetting Mike Ashley and letting players and the club rot instead of doing what he believed was right.

Either that, or everything he said there was a bare-faced lie. You be the judge. Also, if you’re also trying to remember when Bruce played Joelinton out left, you’re not alone. He did play there once or twice, but more often than not it was through the middle.