Newcastle United's £55m forward is pushing for a start in the Champions League against Qarabag
Anthony Elanga applauds the fans as he leaves the pitch
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Newcastle United winger Anthony Elanga is pressing for a return to the starting XI after impressing from the bench against Aston Villa on Saturday.
The attacker was part of a double substitution by manager Eddie Howe as the Magpies looked to press home their advantage against the 10-men of their opponents at the weekend. Elanga responded to the call, producing a strong performance in the closing stages to help Newcastle make the last 16 of the FA Cup after a 3-1 win.
Attention now turns from Aston Villa to Azerbaijan and Elanga is in the frame for a starting role against Qarabag on Wednesday night.
The £55million man has started to find some form in recent weeks after a slow start to his Newcastle career. He bagged his first goal for the club in the second leg of the semi-final against Manchester City and was excellent in the first hour against Tottenham Hotspur last week.
It was something of a surprise to see him on the bench at Villa Park, as Howe mixed things up and selected Jacob Murphy ahead of him on the right flank.
Elanga, however, is desperate to show his worth to the United fans and has vowed that he will show 'heart and desire' every time he steps on the pitch.
"I just want the fans to know I'm committed and the rest will naturally follow," he said. "Every time I pull on that shirt, there will always be heart and desire – every touch, every tackle, running back, running forward.
"They expect that from the team as well so hopefully we can continue to build, stay consistent with what we do and remain positive because if you do so, I'm sure we will be fine."
"There's still so much more to come," he added. "It's that think I talk about, consistency. We need to try and be consistent, whether it's the team, whether it's me as a player, and just stay there."
The performance against Spurs, in which the Swedish international gave left-back Djed Spence a torrid time in the first period, was his best yet in Newcastle colours. And after being substituted off, he left with the chants from Newcastle fans ringing in his ears.
"I made sure to walk even slower," he added to BBC Sport. "If I could have stayed there, I would have."
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