Ayoze Perez has spearheaded Newcastle United’s resurgence.
Ayoze Perez has told The Star that Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez often praises him for his off-the-ball work, and suggested that he has a harder job than the Premier League’s A-list playmakers.
The 24-year-old is bang in form at the moment and his recent contributions have helped Newcastle win their relegation battle.
The Spaniard equalised in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Arsenal for what was his third goal in his past three games, and then set up Matt Ritchie for the second-half winner to make it two assists in three appearances.
Perez hasn’t had a period of productivity anything like this at any other point during the season, prompting questions as to why it has taken him eight months to find this form.
But the former Tenerife number 10 says that his importance cannot be measured in numbers such as goals and assists, claiming that Benitez puts a huge emphasis on what he does without the ball.
“Players like David Silva, Christian Eriksen and Eden Hazard are some of the best in the world so you do not try to compare yourself with them,” Perez told The Star.
“But my job is different and tactically, maybe it is even harder. You may think the No 10’s main job is to provide that link in attack but in this team, my most important job is without the ball.
“Rafa makes it clear that out of possession, my role is to make our opponents feel uncomfortable and he praises me as much for what I do without the ball as with it.”
The Magpies are 10th in the Premier League and 13 points clear of the drop zone in what represents a remarkable turnaround by Benitez, whose side were perilously close to the bottom three for so much of the season.
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