Alan Shearer names the Newcastle United player ‘really angry’ with Eddie Howe

Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer believes Callum Wilson is ‘banging on the door’ for a return to the starting XI when Brentford visit St James’ Park after the two-week international break.

The England international has had to make do with a place on the bench during the opening four games of the 2023-24 Premier League season.

Wilson has featured in every match, scoring in the 5-1 home win against Aston Villa on the opening day of the campaign before adding to his tally with a late consolation goal in the 3-1 loss at Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

In a dismal performance at the Amex Stadium, Shearer reckons Wilson would have been “really angry” with head coach Eddie Howe having been the only Newcastle player to emerge with any credit.

“It’s a really clever finish from Wilson,” Shearer told Premier League Productions. “Just watch the outside of the right foot, the balance. Clever. He sorts of guides it in.

“He would have been really angry with the manager because he’s not started. Not started again and didn’t start the last game.

“When you’re winning the games, the manager can say ‘no, I’m going to give someone elsewhere the chance or keep going with the team I’ve got’.

“Now that he’s come and scored, he’s got every right to go and bang on the manager’s door and say ‘hang on a minute, play me next game, you have to play me’.

“That’s exactly what he should be doing because other than him, I think they were all over the place. No one could have come off that pitch with any credit, other than him.”

Wilson’s 18 goals last season saw him top Newcastle’s goalscoring chart. Prior to the 2-1 defeat to 10-man Liverpool, the former Bournemouth striker spoke openly about his frustration.

“In my position at the moment, things aren’t going as planned at the start of the season,” Wilson admitted. “So you have to make sure that you’re working even harder to stay hungry to keep improving.

“That’s what we have to do as a squad and as players, we have to work hard to get to the levels that Man City play at week in, week out, season after season.”