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Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has revealed his excitement at seeing Allan Saint-Maximin back in action following the international break.

The Magpies’ 2019 signing from Nice has had his standout moments but has largely proved an inconsistent goalscorer. Injuries have not helped in that regard. Still, his raw talent has won him plaudits at St James’ Park.

Former Newcastle manager Steve Bruce regularly praised the 25-year-old’s ability to create chances out of very little.

And while his finishing has often let him down, current Magpies manager Howe shares the same sentiment as Bruce.

Saint-Maximin went into the international break suffering from a mixture of illness and injury. The Frenchman has only played 66 minutes in the last five Premier League games.

However, Howe insisted that the absence of international duty for the attacker has served him well ahead of Newcastle’s trip to Tottenham on Sunday.

“Whenever a player has some time away with illness and injury it’s very difficult to get them back up to speed straight away,” Howe told his pre-match press conference.

“So, this break has been very good for him. He’s trained very well and we’re excited to see him back.”

Howe added that he has “never coached anyone quite like” Saint-Maximin.

“Some of the things he can do and some of the things he’s done in the last two weeks training-wise have been very, very good to see,” the manager said.

“But it’s about harnessing that and trying to make that function for the team. Maxi is very keen