Three players Benitez has transformed since taking over at Newcastle

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Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle United side are currently second in the Championship table having won their last five league matches.

Rafa Benitez has changed a lot during his short time as Newcastle United manager and despite losing their Premier League status at the end of last season, there is certainly a positive atmosphere around the club.

The Magpies are flying high in the Championship as Benitez’s team seem to have clicked following a worrying start to the season as they look for an immediate return to the top flight.

But one thing that the Spaniard has done successfully is that he has managed to get the best out of a number of his players – even those who were not in the first-team picture before he came to the club.

A number of players have improved under Benitez’s management but here are the top three players that have transformed during his time at the club:

Yoan Gouffran

First we begin with the most recent and most surprising transformation under Benitez. French winger Yoan Gouffran barely got a sniff of first-team action last season and looked a dead cert to be offloaded by the club during the summer.

Fans would have arguably been happy to see the back of him as well after a number of disappointing seasons and underwhelming performances from the former Bordeaux man.

However, the drop down to the Championship seems to have given Gouffran’s United career a new lease of life as he has became a regular starter for Benitez’s side.

Already notching a few assists as well as a goal of the season contender in the 2-0 win over Derby County earlier in the month, Gouffran has been a revelation so far this term.

The 30-year-old’s workrate has made him an effective and important part of the Magpies’ Championship squad as Benitez really seems to be getting the best out of him.

Vurnon Anita

While Anita was a useful and at times effective member of Newcastle’s squad last season, he was never really one of those first-name-on-the-teamsheet sort of players as he struggled to make an impact in the middle before Benitez came to the club.

While the Dutchman was viewed as somewhat of a fringe player in the past, now he is seen as one of United’s best assets due to the versatility he offers.

At the back end of last season, which saw Newcastle finish the campaign six games unbeaten, Anita featured at right-back and was so impressive that he replaced fellow countryman Daryl Janmaat in the starting 11 for a number of matches – even managing a fine goal against Manchester City.

Now Anita seems to be Newcastle’s first-choice right-back, something that fans probably did not see coming a few months ago.

And while the 27-year-old has not improved massively under Benitez, his transformation into an extremely convincing right-back has been brilliantly executed.

Jamaal Lascelles

It may seem strange now but Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles had started just three league matches for the club before Benitez’s arrival in March.

Clearly the United boss saw potential in the 22-year-old as he became a regular starter at the back end of last season and won the admiration of many fans for his honest assessment of the club’s dire situation.

He demonstrated real leadership qualities during the final matches of last season and was subsequently handed the captain’s armband by Benitez and hasn’t looked back. The Magpies have not conceded a goal in six matches while he has been on the pitch so far this season.

He has also headed in three goals for the club already as his stature and aerial ability are proving to be a useful asset in the Championship.

At the start of the year, if you told Newcastle fans that Jamaal Lascelles would be club captain by the summer they would have found that very hard to believe. Now, however, it seems like the perfect choice as thing are certainly looking bright on Tyneside at the moment.