Eddie Howe highlighted the brilliance of Sandro Tonali at Newcastle United.
The midfielder moved from **AC Milan**in the summer of 2023 and scored on his Premier League debut in a 5-1 rout of Aston Villa. However, he hit a big roadblock in October 2023 with a 10 month ban for betting.
The club and fans stood by the midfielder, who has shone in a deeper role for the Toon behind **Joelinton**and Bruno Guimaraes. The revelation of a contract extension until 2029 has put a smile on the faces of all associated with Newcastle as the 25-year-old is going from strength to strength.
“A lot happened the time when he was banned. A lot of discussions between Sandro's representatives and the football club at the time. There was the contract situation with the sacrificial money Sandro volunteered which spoke volumes of his character. How he conducted himself around that time was brilliant and he has been brilliant since he come back.
"It is a two way thing. Sandro has felt the love from everyone connected to the club. That support helped him with his return to football too and he needed at that time and now we are seeing the benefits on the pitch. It is easy to forget everything he went through at that time.
"Every situation is different. Sandro is happy, enjoying his football, and feels integral to the squad. You can never foresee what the future holds, but we are enjoying his quality and long may that continue.
"I think that it is dangerous to label players [as one of the best in the world] but the attributes and attitude are there to be that. Sandro has all those qualities, the technical delivery, the quality, he has a bit of everything but the challenge is to improve and show that consistently."