Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has praised two Newcastle stars for their weekend performances in the last-gasp win over Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday – and the Magpies legend has hailed one ‘assured’ star for his solid start to Tyneside life.
Newcastle grabbed their third Premier League win of the season against Fulham at the weekend, hoisting them up to 12th in the table, having taken 12 points so far this season.
Jacob Murphy’s opener was cancelled out by Sasa Lukic, before Bruno Guimaraes’ stoppage-time winner got the feel-good factor back on Tyneside.
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And having named the Brazilian in the Team of the Week, Shearer has also included £35million signing Malick Thiaw in his side.
Malick Thiaw playing a pass for Newcastle
Photo by Geert van Erven/Soccrates/Getty Images
Alan Shearer waxes lyrical over Newcastle’s Malick Thiaw after ‘composed’ Fulham performance
Malick Thiaw signed for Newcastle for £35million from AC Milan in the summer, though he initially started on the bench to begin the season, and was only introduced late on against Liverpool to try to salvage a draw.
He made his bow in the away draw to Bournemouth on gameweek four, and has been all but an ever-present since.
Playing a starring role in home wins over Nottingham Forest and Fulham, the three-time Germany cap has translated well to the Premier League and Thiaw has looked undroppable at times.
And club legend Alan Shearer has named the Dusseldorf-born hero in his Premier League Team of the Week for his performance against the Cottagers. Shearer said: “Continued his assured start since joining Newcastle in the summer.
“Looked really composed on the ball and gave very little away in defence.”
That, alongside the full 90 minutes in resounding wins over Union Saint-Gilloise and Benfica in the Champions League, means it’s now his shirt to lose alongside Fabian Schar.
Thiaw was the most expensive centre-back arrival in the Premier League this summer – but it was always obvious that he was going to succeed at St. James’ Park.
Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw during a Newcastle United Training Session
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Malick Thiaw was always going to be a value-for-money signing for Newcastle United
West Ham’s acquisition of Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice was just £1million cheaper at £34million, but he has been an awful signing, and one that West Ham weren’t able to get out of due to an obligation-to-buy.
Thiaw started his career at Bundesliga outfit Schalke, impressing in the first and second tiers of German football before moving to AC Milan in the summer of 2022.
Featuring in 63 Serie A matches across three seasons, as well as 14 Champions League fixtures, he was impeccable at times for the Rossoneri and his arrival at St. James’ Park was always going to end well, despite Sven Botman wanting Thiaw to score more goals.
Player Club signed from
Nick Woltemade Stuttgart
Malick Thiaw AC Milan
Anthony Elanga Nottingham Forest
Yoane Wissa Brentford
Jacob Ramsey Aston Villa
Aaron Ramsdale Southampton
Newcastle’s current centre-back cohort of Sven Botman, Fabian Schar and Dan Burn have all impressed massively since their moves to Tyneside, especially Burn being instrumental in their Carabao Cup win over Liverpool to end a 70-year drought.
That can be extended to the rest of the squad. Very rarely has Eddie Howe signed a player who has failed to impress at Newcastle after receiving sufficient game time, and it was only a matter of time until Malick Thiaw earned his stripes.