Roy Keane sums up Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes in two brilliant words, Jamie Carragher agrees

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane believes Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes plays with “football intelligence”.

Keane and fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher analysed the Brazilian’s statistics and performances from the Premier League so far after he scored a brace during the Magpies’ 5-1 win against Brentford on Saturday.

Guimaraes, even after just eight months on Tyneside, is regarded by many as one of the best midfielders the club has ever had.

“Obviously, he’s playing with a lot of confidence,” Keane said. “They’ve had a good couple of weeks, Newcastle, a couple of big wins and lots of goals.

“The stats back it up but it’s still early in the season. We want to see him over the next few months. He seems like a good character - the fans have taken to him.

“He’s added a few goals to his game, but he just looks like he knows what the game is about… football intelligence.”

Former Liverpool defender Carragher went into further detail and hailed the 24-year-old as the “complete midfield player”.

Guimaraes, statistically, ranks as the Premier League’s leading midfielder on tackles, ball carries, chances created and through balls per 90 minutes.

In terms of possession won, only West Ham United’s Declan Rice marginally comes out on top.

“What we tend to do with midfield players is put them in positions in terms of numbers,” Carragher said. “So we call someone a six or an eight or 10. He feels to me like the type of player who could play all of those roles.

“What stood out for me is how he’s a throwback to when we were playing in the mid-90s. He’s a ‘midfield’ player. Not a sitter, not an attacking midfielder... he’s a ‘midfield’ player. So let’s look at the numbers.

“Straight away, you look at the defensive side of it. He’s making more tackles per 90 minutes than anybody else and he’s winning possession more than basically everybody except Declan Rice.

“He’s playing for Newcastle, so they’re probably going to do more defending, but they’re still big numbers and a jump on what the others are doing. You then look at going forward, in terms of his carries, chances created and through balls.

“Now, again, Newcastle probably would have less of the ball than the top teams - but this smacks again of him being a complete midfield player. They’re (his stats) not just higher, they’re much higher.

“Now, again, Newcastle probably would have less of the ball than the top teams - but this smacks again of him being a complete midfield player. They’re (his stats) not just higher, they’re much higher.

“This is not a criticism of them (other midfielders), I think they have a different role. When he is, for me, just a ‘midfield’ player. And this is why this player is getting such excitement on Tyneside.”