'Let’s start with thank you': Sandro Tonali speaks to Italian media about Newcastle United fans

There can't be many examples of a worse start to a career at a new club than that of Sandro Tonali at Newcastle United.

Just 12 games into life on Tyneside, Sandro Tonali was slapped with a 10-month ban from football for engaging in forbidden betting practices by the Italian Football Federation.

It was a dark time for Sandro and it kicked off a big debate online about whether Newcastle failed to do their due diligence or if Milan had hoodwinked us.

As well as that, there were those who felt that Tonali should never play for Newcastle again - typical online overreaction that swiftly went away.

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Sandro Tonali thanks the Newcastle supporters for never judging him

However, despite the online rhetoric, Tonali has now told Sky Sports Italia that he never experienced any negativity from fans he met when out and about, praising the supporters for how they treated him.

“Let’s start with thank you.

“I’ve said it already and I’ll keep saying it for a long time, because the behaviour of Newcastle’s fans was unexpected.

“Here, the fans don’t judge anyone, not a single player. Even when I went to the stadium to watch games or walked around the city, I didn’t feel judged by anyone.

“They would shake my hand; this really struck me, and it was certainly the last thing I expected from Newcastle’s fans at that time.

“Many aspects of my life have changed, but I’m very well, both on and off the field. I think that’s truly the most important thing. My relationships with people have also changed a lot, so these things beyond football make all the difference.”

Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes is a conundrum Eddie Howe needs to solve

Sandro Tonali's return to the side has been mixed to say the least. There seems to be something that stops him and Bruno Guimaraes clicking in the same side, and as a result, Tonali is being reduced to an impact sub.

The midfield of Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff either side of Bruno Guimaraes is working so well. Although, in the Carabao Cup it was Tonali who played the Guimaraes role and he had one of his better games for the club, so that position is there to be won if he can oust Bruno.

Ideally we'd like to see a world where they can play alongside each other, but the feeling is, right now, they're just too similar.

It's a nice problem to have, though.