Newcastle's 'unsung hero' who goes about his job with a 'clinical touch'

If you’re looking for a player who goes under the radar at Newcastle United then look no further than Javier Manquillo.

The Spanish full-back quietly made his 100th Newcastle appearance in the one-nil win over Aston Villa and has gained a reputation as a defender who goes about his job with a cool calmness.

He doesn’t grab the headlines and isn’t the first name on any supporters’ lips when it comes to who is standing out, but the very fact that his fitness was the thing most fans were concerned with the immediate aftermath of Kieran Trippier’s injury says a lot about how far Manquillo has come.

Manquillo like Trippier had to leave the pitch during the clash with Villa, and up to that point, the pair had brought a balance to the back four which quickly went down a level after their exits due to injury.

Upon the news that Trippier had broken a bone in his foot and required surgery, every fan was hoping for positive news on Manquillio - and to a certain degree, there was.

The initial fear Manquillio had suffered ligament damage thankfully didn’t ring true but the fact the game against West Ham game too soon for him was the added blow United fans didn’t want.

Again it’s a measure of how far the 27-year-old has come over recent seasons.

It was perhaps a mistake of Rafa Benitez, the man who brought Manquillo to Newcastle, to be so brutal about the former Liverpool man.

Speaking back in March 2019, Benitez said of Manquillo: “When you sign some players, it depends on the money you have and the necessity of the position.

“If you have to sign a full-back when you know you already have one, then you cannot spend massive money.”

It was hardly a glowing assessment of the Manquillo - and in truth, it was not until Steve Bruce that