‘The time is now’ - Alan Shearer predicts the end for Newcastle United player with 98 appearances
Alan Shearer has backed Tino Livramento to cement his place as Newcastle United’s standout right-back.
Alan Shearer has backed Tino Livramento to cement his spot as Newcastle United’s standout right-back - and displace Kieran Trippier.
Toon chiefs took a risk by stumping up a reported £35million for the former Southampton and Chelsea defender. Once billed as the most promising talent from the Blues’ academy, Livramento suffered a nasty ACL injury soon into his Saints career.
The 21-year-old played just two games after returning from a year-long lay-off before his Newcastle move. However, it did not take long before Livramento proved his class, with early showings against Manchester City and Manchester United making fans take note.
Viewed as a future superstar on Tyneside, Eddie Howe trusted Livramento as first-choice right-back going into the current campaign. However, the youngster’s form, like Newcastle in general, nosedived - and he failed to justify his selection.
That was until Livramento put in one of his best United performances to date against Arsenal at the weekend. Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli barely had a sniff, with Lewis Hall also nullifying Bukayo Saka on the opposite flank.
Hall earned the official Premier League man-of-the-match award but, in truth, either young Newcastle full-back could have won. Toon legend Alan Shearer has now challenged Livramento to pin the right-back spot down while Trippier is injured.
“He (Livramento) was superb as well,” he told The Rest Is Football podcast. “I thought both fullbacks were outstanding. Martinelli rarely had a kick, to be honest. A lot of that was down to Livramento.
“He’s had tough opposition. Kieran Trippier has been great for Newcastle. He’s out injured at the minute, so he (Livramento) has been in and out and not really had the chance to say this is my position. I think that time is now.”