Santiago Munoz had a 'great experience' at Newcastle United despite failing in his bid to earn a permanent transfer. That is the view of first-team development coach Ben Dawson after the young Mexican striker returned to parent club Santos Laguna.
Munoz signed on an initial 18-month loan deal in August 2021 in a deal which drew inevitable parallels to the protagonist from the 2005 film Goal!. However, the 20-year-old struggled to make an impact in black-and-white and the prospect of the Magpies taking up the option to make the move permanent always seemed unlikely.
Eddie Howe did hand Munoz his first-team debut in August at St James' Park with a late cameo in the pre-season friendly victory over Athletic Bilbao. It was an experience which the young forward would kickstart his time on Tyneside, but injuries once again limited his impact this season.
