After starting life on the bench, Newcastle United’s final Premier League outing before the September international break felt like a breakout afternoon for one of Eddie Howe’s new faces.
Brought in on a free transfer from AFC Bournemouth, Lloyd Kelly started the campaign behind Lewis Hall in the pecking order.
But, after being restricted to only 20 minutes in that opening weekend win over Southampton, Kelly has now forced his way into the starting XI and will take some shifting if he is to lose his spot from now on.
Especially after his starring role in the 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur which really launched Newcastle’s campaign.
While not exactly a natural left-back – he is more of a centre-half by trade – Kelly showed just how effective he can be on the flanks while driving down the wing and crossing for Harvey Barnes to open the scoring against Ange Postecoglou’s side.
And while Newcastle’s summer window left many supporters underwhelmed and sporting director Paul Mitchell under pressure, the deal which reunited Kelly with his former Bournemouth coach Eddie Howe could yet come to be seen as one of the summer’s most inspired bits of business.
Lloyd Kelly impressing at Newcastle United alreadt
Kelly, so impressive under Andoni Iraola on the south coast has reason, had also been linked with Liverpool as well as Spurs themselves.
HITC understands that the former England Under 21 international – who has moved ahead of Matt Targett as well as Hall despite Newcastle rejecting offers for the former – was also on the radars of Serie A giants AC Milan and Roma.
And Andrea Pellegatti – an agent involved in the deal which took Kelly to St James’ Park – has now opened up on Newcastle’s success in fighting off two of the biggest clubs in Italian football to the Bristol-born 25-year-old.
“Kelly had several Italian teams interested,” Pellegatti tells Radio Sportiva before explaining why the one-time Bristol City youngster was a man in such high demand. “Expiring (contract), a left-footed centre-back in the prime of his career capable of playing left-back…”
Pellegatti, who also played a role in Dean Huijsen’s Bournemouth switch and the £37 million deal which took Ian Maatsen from Chelsea to Aston Villa, believes the presence of Eddie Howe in the Newcastle dugout proved ‘decisive’ in the race for Kelly’s signature.
“Surely the decisive aspect was the fact that the coach – Howe – had already trained him,” Pellegatti adds. “He was his mentor at Bournemouth.”
Former Bournemouth man jumped at Eddie Howe reunion
Kelly would spent five years with The Cherries, making nearly 150 appearances and captaining the club on occasions. Interestingly, his move up north has allowed Dan Burn to slot back into his favoured centre-half role after the 6ft 7ins colossus spent most of last season out wide.
Kelly’s arrival also helped to offset the loss of Sven Botman to an ACL injury, as well as Newcastle’s inability to bring in top target Marc Guehi despite a series of bids over the £60 million mark.
Speaking via The Guardian, Kelly opened up on his decision to join The Magpies and the role Howe played in his switch.
“It definitely feels like we’ve got some unfinished business,” Kelly said of the man who brought him to Bournemouth back in 2019. “That’s what we said when we first met up after I signed for Newcastle. It’s a mutual thing. We’re on the same page.
“It’s a massive club but coming together again with Eddie Howe played a big part. Our relationship goes back a long way.”
“Our relationship at Bournemouth was a good one. I could always come to him if there was anything I needed. The way he wanted to play his football was exciting and he always wants to improve his players.”
Kelly is likely to start at left-back again when Newcastle travel to Wolves on Sunday.
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