Jamaal Lascelles has hailed “phenomenal” Eddie Howe for the job he is doing at Newcastle United. When the 44-year-old took charge last November, the Magpies were winless and hurtling towards the Championship.
However, a dramatic turnaround in the second half of 2021-22 saw Newcastle finish 11th - and 14 points clear of the drop zone. Had the season started when Howe was appointed, United would have finished sixth in the Premier League.
Club captain Lascelles found himself benched for most of the winning run from January onwards. An illness suffered ahead of the 1-0 win against Aston Villa in February provided new signing Dan Burn an opportunity to stake his claim.