'Love him' - Newcastle United hero's surprise comment on rival with his spot in XI - fans will agree

You can’t help but be impressed by Malick Thiaw at Newcastle United.

Since he swept on to Tyneside with all his grace and swagger, few would argue he doesn’t fully deserve his place right at the heart of the Magpies’ backline.

And, direct rival for the spot, Jamaal Lascelles admits he can’t argue with that assessment, too.

The club captain has been relegated to bit-part player this season with the big German’s arrival, even struggling to make it on the bench at times. And while he’s personally frustrated with a lack of opportunities - he finds it hard to disagree, especially when the likes of Fabian Schar can’t get a look in either.

Jamaal Lascelles ‘desperate’ to play for Newcastle United again

He said: “Yeah, obviously, as a player, everyone's desperate to play. I'm a competitor, so I'm desperate to play. But at the same time, I understand we’ve made some great signings. Malick has come into the team and done fantastic. Obviously, Fabby is sat on the bench [as well]. It just goes to show the squad depth we have. That's what you want, really. You want that competition in every area. Ultimately, it will just drive us to perform better and push each other more.”

On Thiaw setting in at NUFC, he added: “Fantastic. A young lad, really athletic. Some players, it takes a while to settle in the Premier League, but he's found his feet straight away. The boys love him. He's well-respected and he's done great for us. I think he's going to have a really great future here.”

Malick Thiaw on Newcastle United move

Thiaw’s impressive form has earned him a recall to the Germany squad. The last of his three caps came in 2023 and he now links up with Toon teammate Nick Woltemade.

Speaking to the media while on international duty, Thiaw revealed that Eddie Howe tried to sign him three times and a chat with the Newcastle manager proved crucial to deciding his future.

“Definitely (whether Newcastle’s persistent approaches helped sway his mind),” Thiaw said, as quoted via Sky Deutschland. “There was already a conversation in the spring, but this summer it became much more concrete than in previous years.

“I then had talks with Eddie Howe, in which he explained his plans for me and where he saw me playing. After that, I decided to join Newcastle. I think it was the right decision.”

Chat with Germany manager

Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann also left the door open for an international comeback following his Newcastle move. Thiaw added: “He called me when I transferred to Newcastle. We had a phone conversation, and the initial expectation was that I would deliver in the games for Newcastle.

“I think I’ve managed that quite well lately. Since I’ve been here, we haven’t had a face-to-face meeting yet, but I’m sure that will happen in the next few days.”

‘He’s been excellent’ - Eddie Howe

Howe hailed Thiaw’s immediate impact when speaking to reporters last month. He said: “He’s a prospect for the future but also the here and now. He’s settled in really well. I think he’s built good friendships, especially with Nick (Woltemade).

“You can see Malick and Nick have built up that strong relationship. It’s important that you have the strength of those relationships around from day to day. On the pitch, I think he’s been excellent.

“Very calm, quite quiet in his work but you can see on the pitch how aggressive he is and how much he wants to win and help the team. He’s distributed the ball really well. He’s athletic.”