Gouffran was frozen out and looked set to leave Tyneside last season, but has been one of the club’s most impressive performers so far this term.
Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles has piled praise on winger Yoan Gouffran for his attitude whilst he was not being selected last term and for his remarkable resurgence, via the Chronicle.
Gouffran had been an important player in the first two-and-a-half years after his move to the Magpies, but under Steve McClaren last season he was cast aside.
The 30-year-old made just nine appearances in all competitions, and none of those came under Rafael Benitez after the Spaniard replaced McClaren in mid-March.
That seemed to make it clear that Gouffran would be sold, but Benitez surprised everyone this summer by suggesting that the Frenchman could still have a role to play.
That has proven to be the case. After the Magpies lost their first two Championship games of the season without Gouffran involved, the winger has shone in five consecutive victories since mid-August and scored his first goal since January 2015 in the 2-0 win over Derby County on Saturday.
Lascelles, who was named Newcastle captain this summer, has hailed his teammate’s resurgence and admitted that he was hugely impressed with the positive and focused attitude the forward retained during his period of exile last term.
The defender told the Chronicle: “The thing I like about Gouffran is that, last season, he could easily have spat the dummy out and not trained well.
“OK he wasn’t getting selected that much last season but he stuck at it, has been patient, which has probably been really hard for him because he’s a senior player, and Rafa’s given him a chance and he’s grabbed it with both hands.
“Gouff does a lot for the team that goes unnoticed, he does a lot defensively. He’s a massive player for us and I congratulate him for the goal. It’s a smashing finish, so I’m really pleased for him.”
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