Newcastle United head coach Steve Bruce admits Jamal Lewis' first season at the club was a 'big learning curve' for the Northern Ireland international.
Lewis joined the Magpies last summer amid much fanfare from Norwich City, having previously been courted by Liverpool earlier in the transfer window.
But while the 23-year-old's potential is enormous, he largely struggled to make an impact last term and played just six minutes of United's final 12 Premier League matches of the season.
However, he has returned to pre-season raring to go ahead of his second season on Tyneside and has been leading the team during their running sessions.
"He is a wonderful athlete, the kid," Bruce told NUFC TV.
"It was a big learning curve for him last year and he is only a young boy."
The Magpies also have returning loanees Florian Lejeune, Yoshinori Muto, Freddie Woodman and Kell Watts as part of their first-team squad at their pre-season training camp in North Yorkshire.
Bruce will assess them across the next few weeks before taking a decision on the next phase of their futures.
"We have two or three back from loans of course and we will see what develops with those over pre-season," he added.
"This time is about the players who we have got here. Preparation is going to be key and the better it is then the better the player will become."
