Bruno Guimaraes fires dig at former Liverpool star as Newcastle United comment ages badly

Bruno Guimaraes has fired back at Danny Murphy after the former Liverpool midfielder described him as “not a great athlete”.

The Brazilian was the star of the show as Newcastle United beat Brentford 4-2 on the final day of the Premier League campaign to secure a top seven finish. Guimaraes set up goals from Harvey Barnes and Alexander Isak, as well as find the net himself in the 77th minute.

Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the game, Guimaraes said: “Finished the season with a memorable match! 3 points, two assists, and 1 goal. Thank you for the support today and we hope it’s enough for us to be in Europe next season! Howay the lads.”

But Guimaraes’ activity on social media didn’t stop there. The 26-year-old uploaded an image from Sky Sports that showed he had covered the most distance (423km) in the Premier League this season.

And Guimaraes used the statistic to hit back at Murphy, who said in February: “That is what will stop him being one of the best, because everything else in his game is superb. Great passer, technically gifted. But he’s not a great athlete.

“I feel for him because I was the same. I had to be on top of my game to look a good player. When I was below my best physically, I looked a bit lethargic and sloppy at times. He needs real athletes around him to shine. Normally they have got that with Joelinton, Willock and Longstaff. They surround him with amazing legs so you see the best of him.

“But to be fair to Bruno, his durability in terms of always being available… he always turns up. His athleticism is only a problem when he doesn’t have those around him to help him. He’s still a crucial player for them, but if you’re talking about the best midfielders in the world, that’s what will stop him being classed as one of them.”

Despite the comments being almost three months old, Guimaraes hasn’t forgotten after the Brazil midfielder wrote “he isn’t athletic” with a thumbs up and grinning face emoji.

Indeed, Guimaraes is able to reflect on another successful season for him in black and white. He was involved in 15 Premier League goals with only Anthony Gordon (21) and Alexander Isak (23) playing a role in more.

With Guimaraes’ £100million release clause active until the end of June, speculation surrounding his future will be rife in the coming weeks but Newcastle remain hopeful of fending off any interest.