'Gold dust': Eddie Howe makes 'beast' admission as £40m star turns his hand to yet another new position

As we gaze at our imaginary Joelinton shrine in our NUFC Feed office that I've never actually visited we are left to ponder - Have we ever had a player this versatile at Newcastle United before?

Sure we've had a few defenders who can pop up in midfield, or wingers who can play through the middle, but Joelinton is a different animal.

Bought as a striker for £40 million from Hoffenheim, it became abundantly clear that he absolutely wasn't a striker, but a lack of other options saw the Brazilian continue to play that role until Callum Wilson came in.

Even after that, it took a new manager and a chance red card for Joelinton's true value to be found. Moving into a midfield role as Eddie Howe switched his team around to cover for Ciaran Clark who was dismissed just a few minutes into the game against Norwich, Joelinton found his home.

Eddie Howe continues to test Joelinton in different positions

Since then, under Howe, Joelinton has transformed form a skinny little player to an absolute unit, and in the last three years he has covered many different positions for Howe.

In the last three games we've seen him play central midfield, wide left, wide right and even right-back, and he's not looked out of place in any role.

Not only that, he just gets on with it. You never see him having a strop on the pitch or his shoulders dropping when asked to do something.

"Joelinton is like gold dust" - Eddie Howe

After Sunday's win over Nottingham Forest, Howe spoke to Sky Sports' Emma Saunders where he called Joelinton a 'beast'.

"He's like gold dust. You know wherever you put him, he will do a good job. His attitude never changes. He's playing in different positions because we utilise him there in games and he has to do the training, and he never flickers. He will do whatever the team needs him to do.”

“He’s just turned into a beast. A machine. He’s someone you put on the pitch, and you know what you’re going to get, regardless of the position. He has those mental qualities that he wants to win everything he does. He will try his best. But I want more from him. I think he can get more goals.”