Tony Cascarino makes his choice for Newcastle’s player of the season

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There are many contenders this season for Newcastle United’s player of the season such is the way they’ve performed throughout this campaign, but Tony Cascarino has managed to make his decision.

It all depends on what you look for personally in your player of the season pick. Is it someone who has bagged a lot of goals? A goalkeeper who went on a run of clean sheets? A commanding midfielder? A creative machine of a full-back?

I use those as an example as that’s exactly what Newcastle fans have to choose from this term, amongst other things. However, Tony Cascarino said on TalkSPORT on Saturday morning that he believes the man who has epitomised Newcastle this season is Joelinton.

Tony Cascarino waxed lyrical about Joelinton on TalkSPORT

When you read what he had to say about the Brazilian, it’s hard to disagree with him. Joelinton’s rise from laughable striker to midfield warrior has continued this season after he picked up the club’s Player of the Year award last year.

Joelinton has proved that what he did in the second half of last season wasn’t a fluke by doing it all again this term, maybe even better than he did before.

Tony Cascarino certainly thinks so, saying on TalkSPORT: “He drives forward and then he’s now seeing passes. He’s got eight goals this year. He’s stood out with his physicality in every way. The amount of times I’ve seen him head away corners, clear his lines, get out and then become a midfielder.

“He ran Spurs midfield ragged. He just made run after run, they couldn’t handle him at all.

“I think the team that Newcastle have become is largely affected by players like him. [Bruno] Guimaraes has played really well, [Alexander] Isak has done well in part of the season. You can name many others at Newcastle. [Sven] Botman in defence and [Nick] Pope in goal, but to me he’s been their outstanding player. If you’re asking me for Newcastle’s player of the season I’m going Joelinton all day long.”

Newcastle have so many potential Player of the Season candidates

A few other top candidates are namechecked by Cascarino: Pope, Botman, Bruno and Isak, he even missed Kieran Trippier who absolutely has to be in the mix.

That’s six players who could all walk away with the club’s Player of the Season honour. When was the last time we had that many to choose from?

When Callum Wilson scores more goals in a season than any Newcastle player for 11 years and beats a record set by Alan Shearer and still doesn’t get a mention, you know things are going well.

Personally, I think I’m with Cascarino on this one and I’d be backing Joelinton for the second year running.