Eddie Howe has been linked with the England job after three largely successful years with Newcastle United – and Magpies winger Harvey Barnes has been full of praise for his manager.
Howe followed Steve Bruce as Newcastle boss when he was appointed manager in November 2021, moving the club away from relegation trouble in his first season at the helm.
The 46-year-old then followed that up by impressively guiding the club into the Champions League during the 2022/23 campaign – the club’s fourth-placed finish saw them return to Europe’s elite competition for the first time since 2004.
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Last season was more difficult, as Howe’s squad struggled to cope with the workload of the extra games, leading to more injury absentees.
Barnes was signed from Leicester City last summer and began his Newcastle career with a goal and an assist in a 5-1 opening-day win against Aston Villa last August – six weeks later though, a foot injury sustained early in the Magpies’ 8-0 rout of Sheffield United at Bramall Lane would ultimately keep him sidelined until February.
Even though he only started only seven league games last term, he believes that a year of working under Howe has helped him.
“I’ve learned a lot and I’m sure this year I’ll be learning a lot more,” the 26-year-old tells FourFourTwo. “He’s great to work under. He comes across as very calm, but he has an intense side to him.
"I’ve only been at the club for a year and I was injured for some of it, but the tactical things I have learned are things I’ve never seen before.”
Newcastle begin their Premier League season at home to newly-promoted Southampton at St James’ Park on August 17, before their first away game against Howe’s old club Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium eight days later.
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