Allan Saint-Maximin was arguably Newcastle United’s best player last night.
The Magpies were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Aston Villa at St James’s Park.
It was Dwight Gayle who opened the scoring for Newcastle in the second half, but it was a dazzling display from the French winger that caught the eye.
Saint-Maximin, who joined Steve Bruce’s side last summer, put a subdued first-half performance behind him and looked much more of a menace after the break.
The 23-year-old, who scored against Sheffield United last week, isn’t the finished article, but there’s a lot of potential there.
And here’s what Celtic boss and BBC pundit Neil Lennon made of his performance last night:
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Allan Saint-Maximin is just magnificent. Magnificent strength, control but he just let himself down with the finish.
“The attributes that he’s got, if he can polish them off, he’d be a brilliant player. He’s great to watch.”
It’s been a decent first season at Newcastle for Saint-Maximin – who has four goals and four assists from 23 games in all competitions – but it could be so much better.
For so many foreign imports, the second season in England’s top flight is when they should start being judged and going by his debut year, his follow-up season could be something special, going by his potential.
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