Former Manchester United and England midfielder Michael Carrick was full of praise for Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes after their win over Fulham.
Guimaraes scored a late winner as Newcastle United beat Fulham 2-1 to record only their third Premier League win of the season.
It was the Brazilian’s 150th start for the club and his crucial late goal was quite the way to mark it.
Newcastle had laboured after Jacob Murphy’s opener and risked throwing the game away after Sasa Lukic had equalised for the visitors.
Guimaraes, however, pounced upon a late rebound following William Osula’s shot to secure all three points.
Carrick, who famously supported Newcastle as a boy, spoke of the player’s impact after the game.
Bruno Guimaraes celebrates after scoring for Newcastle United against Fulham.
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Michael Carrick says Bruno Guimaraes loves winding up the Newcastle United fans
The former Middlesbrough manager was working as a pundit for BBC Radio Five Live.
He described Guimaraes as Newcastle’s “talisman” and talked of how the midfielder loves “winding the fans up”.
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He said: “Bruno Guimaraes pops up at the right moments, doesn’t he? He’s done it for a decent period of time now and he’s the man that they look to.
“He doesn’t always have the end-product but he always provides that leadership on the pitch. He is their talisman and he creates that extra bit of energy in the stadium by winding the fans up.
“It’s a big, big goal for Newcastle.”
Carrick is right in that assessment. Guimaraes plays like a Geordie and will often whip the fans up by celebrating tackles like goals or calling for more noise when the team needs it.
That is part of why he’s such a popular figure on Tyneside. His quality is one thing but the manner in which he has taken to life at the club is what has cemented him as a Newcastle legend.
Newcastle United looking to offer Bruno Guimaraes a new contract
Guimaraes is one of Newcastle’s best-ever midfielders and still has so much more to give. He’s been an inspired addition to the squad and will go down in history on Tyneside.
Still, that doesn’t mean the journey is approaching its end point. In fact, Geordie Boot Boys understands that Newcastle are willing to offer Guimaraes a new contract.
The former Lyon star is thought to be Newcastle’s best-paid player and is currently under contract until 2028.
However, having watched Alexander Isak depart this summer, the club could do with taking action to ensure their other key players do not feel the need to follow him through the exit door.