Jamie Carragher has hailed the man of the match display of Newcastle United midfielder Joelinton in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
Joelinton was once again the star of the show for the Magpies, standing out in a midfield role that new boss Eddie Howe has tasked him with in recent weeks.
The Brazilian has looked like a man reborn since the arrival of Howe, after struggling to make an impact during his two years at St. James’ Park.
Go here for all the latest Newcastle United news
Following the 1-1 draw with Norwich City at the end of last month, where Joelinton was moved into a number eight role after the Magpies had gone down to ten men, he has not looked back.
His performances have gone from strength to strength over the festive period, and he played a crucial role in helping Newcastle earn a point against Man United on Monday, in a game where they deserved more.
And speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Carragher was astounded at the level of his performance, which he labelled as ‘outstanding’.
He said: “He was brilliant. I must be honest, the last few weeks you hear supporters who watch Newcastle every game about how well he’s been doing midfield and sometimes you think well he hasn’t done so well at the top end of the pitch, and he’s just done okay in midfield.
“But that was an outstanding midfield performance by any standard and I mean any standard in terms of any midfield play. If you put in a performance like that against Manchester United we’ll be raving about it and rightly so, he’s man of the match.
“Running with the ball, he was a goal threat, winning the ball back - everything involved. The power, the strength he showed.
"He’s taken a lot of criticism; he was a big money signing for £40m - I think he was almost brought in by the club and given to Steve Bruce after Rafa Benitez had gone.
“And listen, let’s not sugar coat it, he was really poor as a centre-forward. Eddie Howe has now put him into a midfield position, and he’s looked Newcastle’s best player.
“A special performance.”
For the latest Newcastle news direct to your inbox, go here to sign up to our free newsletter
